Manna is preparing for its community Christmas meal and hopes to serve more than 600 people in the Durango area this year.
“It’s a blessing that we get to serve so many,” said Manna sous chef Mitchell Lipska. “I love helping people. I love being able to meet all the people that come up, and get to see their faces when they get this meal.”
Meals will be served from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Meals will be prepackaged and available for pickup at Manna, 1100 Avenida del Sol. Some meals will be delivered to people at the Espero Apartments and Purple Cliffs camp.
The meal is paid for in part by a $2,500 grant by the Durango Evening Rotary Club. The grant helped the soup kitchen pay for food and supplies to help put residents in the holiday spirit.
“Other than food, we like to hand out jackets and gloves and other winter gear that we distribute to people in need,” said Seanan Culloty, Manna’s head chef. “We’ve already had people from the community come by to deliver Christmas presents for people.”
He said Manna is talking with Durango Harley-Davidson, which runs a Toys for Tots program, about contributing gifts.
“Last year, they brought a van full of brand-new toys,” he said. “Families with kids can show up and grab meals and presents.”
To fill out its volunteer pool, Culloty said Manna works with other organizations, including La Plata Family Centers Coalition and Compañeros to put the meals together on Christmas Day.
“This community loves to help, and donate and volunteer their time. We’ve got tons of volunteers,” he said.
On the menu for Christmas is ham, cheesy scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and apple pie.
Cooking for the Christmas Day meal begins more than a week before the event because so much food needs to be made.
“The only way that we’re able to make the massive volume that we need is to start a week and a half in advance,” Lipska said.
He said it takes about 2½ days just to thaw, cook and glaze the hams. The soup kitchen will prepare 960 pounds of ham.
“The big meals we do are a whole other mindset,” Lipska said. “You have to focus a little more because there’s a whole lot of quality control that goes into each item we’re making.
Culloty said Manna previously has served 300 to 400 meals but expects a larger turnout after serving 612 people at its Thanksgiving meal this year.
He said there’s no place he’d rather be on Christmas Day than serving meals at Manna.
“I’d honestly rather be nowhere else,” he said. “It’s just incredible to share such a special day with the community. I thoroughly enjoy being here.”
njohnson@durangoherald.com
