Visitors, volunteers share Christmas meal at St. Charles Parish

Laurie Bazemore took a break from her pumpkin pie, stuffing and yams on Friday to hoist her feet, outfitted in new snow boots, onto the lap of Julia Teraceno.

“Those boots were calling your name,” Teraceno said, as Bazemore smiled.

The two women met just a few moments prior, thrown together on Christmas at St. Charles Parish and School in north Spokane. Bazemore, who’s been staying in housing provided by Catholic Charities, hopped a school bus to the church and was one of the roughly 500 people whom organizers expected to serve Friday. Teraceno decided to volunteer her time Christmas morning, and was drawn to Bazemore, who was eating alone.

“I knew I had to sit by you,” Bazemore said, as the two women embraced.

More than a hundred volunteers filled the parish’s gymnasium, loading plates with meat from one of 18 cooked turkeys, stuffing, rolls and cranberry sauce and scurrying to deliver them to visitors at cafeteria tables. Lee Bayley, who wore a black apron bearing his name, has seen every one of the parish’s Christmas meals served since 1976.

“We start organizing in late November,” Bayley said, pausing at the end of a line of volunteers to accept hugs and well wishes from volunteers and visitors alike.

Bayley, Emmet Schearer and others began organizing the meals in the 1970s. The event has grown to include a clothing drive as well, where visitors like Bazemore can select from coats, hats, gloves, socks and other cold weather items.

The first workers start arriving around 4 a.m. to heat up the ovens, Bayley said. By the time he arrives an hour or two later, the gym is filled with the smell of roasting turkey.

“By then, all the turkeys are in the oven cooking, and I say, ‘Why do I need to be here so early,’ ” Bayley said, chuckling.

The Crane family was spending their first Christmas serving at the parish. Daughters Jules, 11, Brianna, 9, and Maggie, 8, were crowding around their mother, Jennifer, waiting to take plates of food to visitors.

“It all looks good, especially the pie,” said Brianna, smiling.

Mitch Crane, their father, said the family had already celebrated their Christmas and wanted to help out.

“We just wanted to give back to the community,” he said.

Patrick Gabiola, one of those without a place to stay on Christmas, said he appreciated the meal.

“It’s been a brutal Christmas for me,” said Gabiola, who recently was released from jail and has dealt with medical problems for the past several weeks. “I’m thankful to have this.”

Volunteer drivers visit multiple shelters around the area and pick up folks there who want to enjoy a Christmas meal, organizer Bayley said. They arrive in shifts, and are dropped back off when the dinner is over.

Teraceno, with her arm draped around Bazemore, said it was important for those without family or friends to spend the holidays with, to know that places like St. Charles were available.

“If you need to be with somebody, there are places like this out there,” she said.

Unused food from the event is donated to Catholic Charities and local food banks, Bayley said.

For Bazemore, who’s been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is dealing with medical issues facing her mother and 21-year-old son, the few hours in the company of volunteers like Teraceno and enjoying a plate of warm food make the holiday brighter.

“It’s amazing,” Bazemore said, wiping away tears. “It’s very humbling. My heart is filled up.”