1 of 3
Bridging RVA volunteers prepare for the 2020 Christmas Day Dinner. (Photo courtesy Bridging RVA)
2 of 3
Volunteers pick up meals for delivery to community members in need. (Photo courtesy Bridging RVA)
3 of 3
Photo courtesy Bridging RVA
For nearly a decade, Lee Ann and John Sawyer have been celebrating Christmas surrounded by friends and family — and nearly 2,000 of their neighbors.
Lee Ann is the executive director of Bridging RVA, a nonprofit that John founded in 2012. The organization plans two major volunteer opportunities every year: 150 Beds for 150 Kids, which delivers donated beds to local children who would otherwise be sleeping on floors and couches, and the Christmas Day Dinner, which provides a free holiday meal to neighbors in need.
This is Bridging RVA’s eighth year providing Christmas dinner to residents of Richmond and the surrounding counties. Sawyer says the venue varied in the early years, but “we found our sweet spot at Congregation Beth Ahabah,” a reform Jewish synagogue in the Fan that plays host to about 1,700 dinner guests.
While some guests are homeless or food insecure, many attendees are also elderly couples and individuals who might otherwise be alone on Christmas.
“They come and sit and find community around a table,” Sawyer says.
In a typical year, the work begins with two prep days at Bon Air Presbyterian Church and Second Baptist Church, which loan out their commercial kitchens. Volunteers cook turkeys, make mashed potatoes and bake pies. Then, on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, another team arrives at Beth Ahabah to decorate the space and set up tables. That night, dinner volunteers take 90-minute serving shifts. Guests can call an 800-number to request that a bus pick them up and take them home. And Santa joins the festivities with gifts for children in attendance.
The event naturally shifted during the pandemic when a seated dinner for thousands wasn’t possible. In addition, Sawyer says, the need greatly increased and more people faced the prospect of spending Christmas at home alone. In response, Bridging RVA offered a meal delivery program in 2020 and expanded its reach to more than 2,400 people.
“It was like DoorDash,” she says. “We prepped every meal in individual to-go containers and bagged them.”
Instead of dinner guests coming to Beth Ahabah, volunteers lined up outside the synagogue to pick up delivery tickets and meals for six homes. Bridging RVA requested the names from social services, school counselors, Communities in Schools and mental health facilities.
While current regulations may allow in-person gatherings, Sawyer says Bridging RVA will continue to offer meal delivery this year.
Bridging RVA Executive Director Lee Ann Sawyer (Photo by Jay Paul)
All told, more than 200 households sign up to help out — and the spots go quickly. Sawyer posted the volunteer registration on Thanksgiving evening, and half of the slots were filled within three hours. Three days later, they were nearly at capacity.
Some volunteers are young families who may have moved away from their hometowns and extended families and want to instill values of gratitude in their children. That’s what drove the Sawyers to organize the event.
“We’ve always had a lifestyle of giving back,” she says, “but we wanted our family and friends to see that you can put feet behind it — not just your checkbook.”
Other volunteers come seeking connection. Sawyer says one elderly couple has volunteered every year since the program’s inception because their children live abroad.
“They greet people when they walk in the door, they hand out nametags, they love on every baby that comes in,” Sawyer says. “They don’t want to be home alone, so they spend all day with us.”
Susan Cheatham started volunteering with Bridging RVA about five years ago, and she supports both the 150 Beds drive and the Christmas Day Dinner.
Cheatham says her family agreed to help with the Christmas dinner after her children grew up. They spend the morning volunteering and celebrate at home in the afternoon. Though her husband died earlier this year and her children now live in Raleigh, North Carolina, Cheatham says they still plan to keep the tradition going.
“The excitement of Santa Claus and presents is long gone,” she says. “Volunteering adds to our day and makes us realize what Christmas is all about.”
While pulling off a dinner involving thousands of people is complex, with endless moving parts, the Sawyers aim for a seamless event for both guests and volunteers. Lee Ann hopes it helps volunteers look around their community and find ways to give back throughout the year.
“We want repeat volunteers, and we want them to find their own passion where they can serve,” she says. “Once you see needs, you can’t unsee them. If you have the capabilities to help alleviate needs or hurt, we feel like we have to do something about it.”
Never miss a Sunday Story: Sign up for the newsletter, and we’ll drop a fresh read into your inbox at the start of each week. To keep up with the latest posts, search for the hashtag #SundayStory on Twitter and Facebook.
