In the community

Vale volunteers plan Christmas dinner for community

VALE – Volunteers are staging the Vale Community Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day from noon to 2 p.m. at Vale Elementary School. There is no charge.

“We don’t want people sitting at home alone,” said Cathy Zacharias, one of the organizers. “It’s for anybody and everybody.”

The menu includes turkey, roast beef and ham “with all the fixin’s,” according to announcement.

The volunteers hosted a similar dinner on Thanksgiving, feeding 152 people.

“We’re expecting about 200,” said Zacharias, who is president of the Vale Chamber of Commerce and owns Exzacht Sewing & Alterations.

Diners can contribute at the dinner but the costs are covered, she said.

Donors also can give directly to the Vale Food Pantry to support local food needs, she said. The pantry operates in the former Vale City Hall at 252 B St. West.