Surf Cat

“It’s pretty faded,” Caladara said. “You can tell I’ve been doing this awhile — beard’s a little grayer, the apron’s turning pink.”

Caldara was working the stove at the annual Christmas Eve dinner at Christ the King, 5934 Eighth Ave. About 350 people were expected for the holiday meal, which Caldara’s family and another family from what was then First Congregational Church started 20 years ago.

Since then it has grown, with a small army of volunteers donating food, cooking, serving meals and visiting with the people who attend. “I just put out a wish list for food and it arrives,” Caldara said.

He and his wife start cooking at midnight the night before, putting turkeys in the oven. They serve about 120 pounds of turkey, 90 pounds of ham, 100 pounds of mashed potatoes and a mountain of dinner rolls.

New on the table this year were three flavors of wings cooked up and donated by the couple that owns Moe Moe’s Food Market, 1916 63rd St. Store owner Mustafa Mustafa said a volunteer stopped in asking to put a flyer up for the event. “We asked if we could be part of this,” he said.

Along with his wife, Bistra, he delivered 150 wings from the store kitchen. It was one of several holiday events they were donating to for the season. “We like to be part of things for the community in the name of God,” he said.

At the dinner, volunteers called up tables one at a time to the buffet. After eating, there were gifts for children who attended. People waited in line outside the church.

Judy Chapman was at the dinner with six friends, including three teenagers. Chapman said they looked forward to the event. “It’s friendly people and good food,” she said.

“The best food ever,” one of the teenage boys said.

Billy Nye, associate pastor for Christ the King, said the congregation took over the church about six year ago, adopting the Christmas Eve dinner along with the building. He said the dinner — and regular church breakfasts — have a way to welcome people from the community to church. “We want to be a church of the neighborhood,” he said.

Lakeya Garrett was at the dinner with her three children. She said the family often attends events at the church.

“This is a real blessing for me and my kids,” she said, saying the meal is the centerpiece of their holiday. “This is about the biggest things we’ll do.”

Caldara said he sees the holiday meal as both a way to help others and as a kindness to himself. “This is a blessing for me,” he said of the dinner. “God doesn’t bless us to keep it, he blesses us to share.”