Dec 23, 2018 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – As a child Chuck Wolfe remembers he and his mother enjoying a huge meal at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Waynesburg every Christmas. But Wolfe moved away, and, as time passed, the traditional meals at the church stopped.

Well, the Graysville native has returned and hopes to restore the Christmas Day tradition he loved as as a child. So, at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Wolfe, his wife Candi and their nine children will provide a free meal to the public at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Waynesburg. Wolfe said he wanted the meal to be served at a centralized location so people can access it easily. Plus, he is the district director and, locally, the secretary of the Eagles, so he got permission to use the space.

“I want to make sure everyone has a warm meal, somewhere to go and someone to spend time with on Christmas,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe said he will also deliver meals to those who live within a five-mile radius of Waynesburg.

“We’re targeting it toward anyone who doesn’t have a place to go on Christmas or anyone who doesn’t have enough to make a meal on Christmas,” he said.

He encourages those who want deliveries to call in advance so he knows what to prepare, but said he will accommodate last minute requests as best he can. He, with the help of friends, his wife and their 16-year old son, Daniel, will be delivering the meals throughout Christmas Day. He’s putting emphasis on reaching the elderly residents who might not be able to leave their homes.

“We’ve been blessed this year and wanted to give back,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe said he doesn’t know how many people will show up, but they’ll be keeping the food warm all day and will accept guests until 7 p.m. or until they run out of food.

He posted an announcement for this event on Facebook and printed flyers to spread around, not expecting the response he’s been overwhelmed to receive. He said, as far as he knows, this event is the only of its kind in the county.

“Not one negative, only positive comments,” Wolfe said of the feedback. “They’re glad to see something like that available in Waynesburg.”

His hope is to teach his children, who range in age from 3 to 20 years old, what he said is “the true meaning of Christmas: to give and, if you’re blessed, to pass it onto someone else if you’re able to.”

Wolfe and his family will be preparing all the food. They will begin preparations today, starting with making the desserts. In addition to his family, Wolfe said he has three volunteers who will for sure help him out on Christmas Day and maybe a handful of others. He said, among other foods, he will offer guests ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, noodles, Jello, hot rolls, stuffing and macaroni salad.

Wolfe said he would gladly accept help from anyone and the more volunteers, the easier it will be to make this meal an annual event. He also plans on holding a fundraiser sometime next year, at the Eagle’s Club, so he can buy more supplies for next year’s event.

“Regardless of how it goes we will continue to do it in years to come,” Wolfe said. “It can only get better from here. Hopefully (with more volunteers) we can deliver at a further distance and serve the majority if not all of Greene County.”

If interested in donating covered dishes, drop them off at the Fraternal Order of Eagles at 52 W. High St., No. 598, Waynesburg, any time after 10 a.m. Sunday, after 2 p.m. Monday or after 9 a.m. on Christmas Day.

To request a meal be delivered on Christmas Day or to volunteer, call the Eagle’s Club at 724-627-7565.