Kildare Lions Club to host Christmas dinner
“For me it’s the real meaning of Christmas, reaching out to others'
THIS Christmas the Kildare and Newbridge Lions Club will be hosting their 18th ‘Christmas Dinner with Friends’ , both in people’s homes, and at the Bible Fellowship Church in Newbridge.
“Last year we did over 50 dinners to people in their own homes, and more than 20 to sit for the Christmas dinner,” said Anne Crowe, a spokesperson for the Lions Club.
“Seventh Catering from the Kildare Town Golf Club do all the dinners for delivery, and our volunteer drivers deliver them on Christmas Eve,” she explained.
“Then on Christmas Day Lily and Wild Cafés – with units in Naas, Kildare town, and Newbridge – prepare the dinner on Christmas Day in the Fellowship Church.
“All of this is paid for by the Newbridge and Kildare Lions Club, and they have been footing the bill for the last number of years.
“It was the easiest thing to have an established organisation like the Lions Club look after the event, but it just wouldn’t happen without the volunteers, who are delivering the dinner on Christmas Eve, and then picking up the people for the sit-down dinner the next day.
“It wouldn’t happen without them, some of whom have been doing it for years, so a big shout-out to them.
“The Fellowship Church is out by Newbridge College (Liffey Lodge) and it is a nice venue.
“It is an adult social day though, and though we do feed families, we deliver only to their home.
“Because a lot of the older people said they probably wouldn’t come (to the Church). If there were children running around all day, that's why only at the Bible Fellowship Church.
“The big thing on the day is the game of bingo, and that’s a huge favourite every year.
“It’s usually just people from Kildare town and Newbridge, and surrounding areas, but this year we had a call from Rathangan which we never got before.
“So if anyone who’s reading this and knows somebody who’s going to be alone and would like to sit down with others, to encourage them to do so for the company, and maybe make new friends who you could meet up with throughout the year.
“I’m doing this 18 years now, and you get far more back than you put in.
“For me it’s the real meaning of Christmas, reaching out to others.
“But the heroes really are the drivers, we’re just fronting it up,” said a very modest Anne Crowe.
