Two Utica churches will offer four lunches (not necessarily soup) over the winter break from school. All families in the Centennial Public School district are welcome. The meals will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 26 and 27 and Jan. 2 and 3 at the Utica Village Auditorium.
Two churches in the Utica area are working to make sure families who need a hot meal will get one—or four—over the holiday season.
The Utica United Methodist Church and Ebenezer United Methodist Church near Waco are hosting four community meals during the winter break from school.
The meals will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 26 and 27 and Jan. 2 and 3 at the Utica Village Auditorium.
The meals are open to all families in the Centennial Public School district.
The Fridays, Dec. 27 and Jan. 3, will include a family friendly movie showing, beginning at noon.
Myra Nicolaus and Marilyn Hyde are organizing the event. They’re both former teachers at Centennial Elementary and both work with the United Methodist Youth Fellowship.
“Marilyn and I are constantly looking for things that need to be done in our community or communities nearby,” Nicolaus said. “We felt that there are kids that their main meal is at noon at school. With two weeks of vacation over school break, some of them will not get a hot meal like they need.”
Volunteers from the youth group and both churches are helping with the events and making cookies for the families who attend.
The food for the meals is being funded through a grant from Thrivent Financial and money previously earmarked for residents at the Utica Community Care Center, which closed in November.
“At our Christmas Eve service at church, we had taken a collection, and that money was for residents of the nursing home. Since the nursing home closed, they earmarked that money for what we would need,” Nicolaus said.
They’re not sure how many families to expect, but Nicolaus said she expects more people to come each time as word of the meals spreads.
Food left over from the end of each week may be sent home with the families.
Those who attend are welcome to bring a blanket or pillow on Fridays for the movies.
Each meal and movie will be in the Utica Auditorium at 446 First St.
“We thought some people aren’t comfortable going into a church that’s not theirs or a church in general. The city is willing to let us use the facility for this,” Nicolaus said.
There’s no need to RSVP. Families can just show up.
Nicolaus said they’re excited to help the community with the meals.
“It’s just the Christmas spirit, I guess,” she said.
