Bozeman News

Bozeman agencies team up to provide hot Christmas meals

Posted: Dec 25, 2012 5:46 PM by Erin Schattauer

BOZEMAN - There was lots of holiday cheer to go around this afternoon at the Gallatin Mental Health Center where Christmas meals were being served.

The Gallatin Mental Health Center teamed up with the Warming Center and HRDC to provide Christmas meals for those who may have not had them on Christmas Day.

"I've been playing since seven o'clock this morning," said Carl, one of the people who turned out to have a hot meal and visit with others at the Gallatin Mental Health Center.

Carl strummed the ukulele and sang Christmas carols as others buzzed around the room, chatting, eating and visiting with others.

Carl said if he hadn't gone there today, he would have probably been on the street, just walking around on Christmas.

This was the first year for the gathering.

"We just wanted to provide companionship and to give people a place to belong on a day that perhaps they didn't have anywhere else and a meal when they would perhaps be hungry and cold," said Diana Willis with the Gallatin Mental Health Center.

Diana and others volunteered today, driving people from the Bozeman Warming Center to the Gallatin Mental Health Center then to the Community Café for three hot meals. The day started with a breakfast, complete with bacon and eggs. Then lunch of meat, potatoes, rolls and all the fixings. Then, after the health center closed at 4 p.m., it was onto the Community Café at 5 p.m. for dinner.

"So they have the whole day that they're not left out in the cold and things like that, that they'd have somewhere to belong today," Diana said.

One woman who didn't wish to go on camera said if it wasn't for this event, she wouldn't have gotten to see her daughter today.

In all, about 40 people attended a meal at one of the three locations. A number of local businesses donated food, drinks and other items for the dinner.