BERLIN, MD-- Today was not a normal Wednesday for the Spirit Kitchen at Stevenson United Methodist Church in Berlin. Today is Spirit Kitchen's holiday party. As soon as you walk in the smell of good food and the sight of a festive mood filled the air.
"Today is our Christmas party, we are celebrating Jesus's birth today", Vicky Nock said. "We have a full turkey dinner for our neighbors here and then they will all get a turkey and all the fixings. Santa's here somewhere."
People here were served a hot meal, and given ingredients for Christmas dinner to take home. And gifts were available as well.
Now volunteers say you don't have to wait until the Christmas season to lend a helping hand. Bobby Johnson and Ella Briddell said the Spirit Kitchen is open to everyone, every Wednesday."
"Every day is Christmas", Johnson said. "Every day is giving think right? every day should be like Christmas to give help"
"Oh I love it I come every Wednesday the people are so wonderful", Briddell said. "Come on Wednesdays they feed everybody they don't turn anybody away.
And members like Debra Willis say this love and joy is felt year-round.
"We've been members for about 6 months and but coming here we feed people food wise and we also feed them spiritually", Willis said. "I mean coming here you can just feel the holy spirit and it's a wonderful wonderful feeling to volunteer here."
The Spirit Kitchen has been in operation for over a decade serving on average 80 to 90 people a week. That number is growing as winter is now in full swing and they look forward to another year of serving the community.