Bounty of Bethlehem set for its annual community feast on Christmas Day
HENDERSONVILLE - The Bounty of Bethlehem will continue its tradition of serving a community-supported feast on Christmas Day at the Salvation Army, as Dec. 25 will mark the 40th time the event has been held.
Preparations for the annual meal kicked off Dec. 19-20 as volunteers were on hand at the Salvation Army, 239 Third Ave. E., to accept turkeys and hams. Volunteers set up tables and workstations Dec. 21, the same day of the cranberry sauce making.
More: Hendersonville-area restaurants that opened the 2nd half of 2023
On Dec. 22, turkeys will be prepped, vegetables will be chopped and cooked and gravy will be made, and on Dec. 23, more food will be prepared, and desserts will be received in the gym from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. Christmas Day, and the serving of the feast will begin.
Director Annamarie Jakubielski told the Times-News on Dec. 20 that the week before the big meal always gets off to a slow start before a flurry of activity.
"We angst over it until the magic happens and our community shows up to support us as needed. As I tell you this, we still need turkeys and hams," she said, as donations will be collected until the afternoon of Dec. 21. "Desserts can be donated Saturday and Sunday all day, and Monday until noon. Financial donations are always welcome and provide the resources to purchase everything else."
She said the meal is 100% by the community and 100% for the community.
"We are still signing up volunteers and will continue throughout the week, with many positions still open," she said.
The feast isn't the only thing festive at the Salvation Army on Christmas Day for the Bounty of Bethlehem, Jakubielski said.
"Christmas Day is magical. The Salvation Army gym is transformed into a new space filled and decorated in the true spirit of Christmas, with evergreen trees tucked in the corners and brightly colored flowers add just the right pop of color," she said.
The One-Man Band Tom Brown will be playing Christmas music, she said.
"The nativity is thoughtfully placed, and everyone is smiling. There's a friendly buzz of conversation and laughter. The volunteers tend to the diners, and the fragrant aroma of delicious food wafts throughout the room, filled with families and new friends as they enjoy the Christmas feast before them," Jakubielski said.
More: Hendersonville's Bounty of Bethlehem celebrates 40 years of free Christmas Day feast
She said other magical Christmas moments happen well before Christmas Day.
"It’s during the preparations in the days leading up to Christmas," she said. "There are times when the gym is filled with folks preparing the meal and the room is alive with energy. I think it’s the Holy Spirit, who has moved me to tears more than once. Everyone is smiling, working hard, doing chores that they probably don’t do at home ... music is playing, and the room is bursting with teamwork and love. It’s just an incredible kind of joy to experience."
This is the 15th year Jakubielski has been involved with the Bounty of Bethlehem. During that time, her roles have changed.
"I started by coming in and chopping this or that. I stepped up to lead in decor and then other roles, whatever was needed. I've been the director since 2020, which was a fairly quiet year because of the pandemic. Since then, we’ve built a mostly new leadership team, partnered with The Salvation Army and relocated to its facility on Third Avenue," she said.
This year Bounty of Bethlehem also filed to become its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
"Like in anything worthwhile, we’ve had our challenges. But, the reward is seeing one part of our community pull together to serve another part of our community. We’ve evolved by stepping back to the original intent, which is to provide a place for people who may otherwise be alone to come together on Christmas Day," she said.
For more information or to send a donation, go to https://bountyofbethlehem.org. Donations can also be mailed to Bounty of Bethlehem, P.O. Box 742, Horse Shoe, NC 28742. The volunteer hotline is 828-845-4277.
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Bounty of Bethlehem set for its annual community feast on Christmas Day
