MARKET STREET MISSION CHRISTMAS DINNER 2024

Family, food, and festivity are all words that come to mind when thinking about Christmas – and though the holidays often look different for our neighbors struggling with hunger, homelessness, and addiction, at the Market Street Mission, we host our annual Christmas dinner with the goal of making all our guests feel celebrated and loved.

On Christmas Day, at both our Morristown and Asbury Park Mission locations, we served a free Christmas dinner with all the fixings for our Life Change Recovery Program residents and community guests! We also held a special chapel service for our residents where we gave out Christmas gifts.

George Higgins has been a lead volunteer serving holiday dinners at the Market Street Mission in Morristown for years. Spending time with our recovery program residents and community guests is a meaningful Christmas tradition for George:

“I aim to create an atmosphere where everyone that sits down for a meal feels respected and cared for. Our guests are fighting immense battles, and at times, society casts these people off. The least we can do is create a caring environment during a time where they are inevitably dealing with a variety of feelings. I want them to know and feel that no matter what they are battling, they are valued members of our community, and that no matter what they face, they have a safe place to celebrate these holidays with some peace, joy, and love,” he explains.

George’s desire to serve people in need comes from a lifelong history of volunteering. “I grew up seeing both my parents battle various substance abuse issues. Despite my father’s battles, he instilled a sense of community and service in me. For many years, my father served at the Franklin Food Bank, and as a child he always made sure I was included in that work. Seeing my neighbors and community members struggle to put food on the table left a huge impression on my life. My father passed away in 2017, and I decided that I needed to continue in my service to those who need it as a way to honor his legacy. Volunteering at the Market Street Mission is therapeutic for me and it helps me continue to honor my father. It also is a great honor and privilege to serve those who fight battles that I’ve seen firsthand in my own life.”

At the Mission, we are deeply grateful for George and all our incredible volunteers who give of their time to make the holidays special for our guests. A Christmas meal surrounded by loving, caring friends has the power to restore our guests’ dignity and hope, and remind them of the love of God that we celebrate this season.