So thankful

Gary and Judy Kielczewski

Dear Mike:
It is important that I let everyone know how thankful I am for all the people—young and old—who stepped forward to help make the annual Community Christmas Dinner a great success.
A special thank you goes to my husband and best friend, Gary Kielczewski, who is always ready to lend a helping hand—and he is a great cook, too!
Special thanks also goes to Jordan Fournier, who was my right-hand man through all three days. To his wife, Jenn, and daughters, Jorja and Jaana, who spent the Friday making 25 apple and blueberry pies and 40 small tarts.
To John Myers, who made his appearance a day early because he found out he couldn’t come on Christmas Day, but showed up at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas morning and ended up staying until all the potatoes were on the stove cooking. Thank you, John.
To all the volunteers who came and did their part to make the Christmas dinner a success. If it wasn’t for each and every one of you, this meal would not be possible. It takes a community!
This day is not just about food for me; this is about the fellowship of community coming together. Someone who may have lost a partner, a child, a sister or brother. Some families just want to eat so they can spend the rest of the day playing.
Someone may be by themselves and they don’t want to cook for just one, so they call a friend and show up to share food, laughter, and music from Diane Maxey and her singing friends.
Meals are packaged up and our volunteer drivers make time to deliver hot meals to many. Thank you!
To June Caul, Diane Maxey, and Gabby Hanzuk for always being there. Thank you! For all the people who help set up the dining room tables and taking them down, and for all the volunteers who do the cleanup, thank you!
For all the kitchen cleanup crew who stayed until the last pot was cleaned and the garbage was put out.
The Community Christmas Dinner also would not be possible without the generous donations of food and money. Thank you all!
Thank God for Knox United Church, where all this was made possible.
Thank you to all our guests who came together to share this blessing of food and make all this day worth doing.
May the blessing be on all who volunteer this year. Thank you, again, for all who did their part in making this Community Christmas Dinner a great success.
Happy 2017!
Sincerely,
Gary and
Judy Kielczewski
Fort Frances, Ont.