Pitt, Sodexo to host annual dinner for the needy

Sodexo serves thousands of hungry students each day, but the employees and volunteers at Market… Sodexo serves thousands of hungry students each day, but the employees and volunteers at Market Central will try to make Christmas Day a little more special for people in tough economic circumstances.

Pitt and Sodexo are holding their sixth annual Christmas Day Dinner at Market Central on Dec. 25. The event for the homeless and needy includes a Christmas dinner, gift-giving, a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus and take-home gift bags filled with hat and glove sets and leftover food.

Abdou Cole, the general manager of Sodexo at Pitt, said the event has grown over the years and is expected to grow even more in the future. While the event fed 1,150 people last year, this year Sodexo is preparing dinner for between 1,350 and 1,500 people.

He said that for some of the families, this event is the “biggest hit of the year.”

The Salvation Army works with social service agencies to determine those who will be invited to the event. Pitt international students are also welcome at the event, since many are unable to go home over winter break.

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Community Relations John Wilds said the annual event is a “total partnership” between Sodexo and Pitt. Between financial resources and donated labor, Pitt pays for the majority of the food, and Sodexo employees make up a large majority of the 150 to 200 volunteers.

The organizers welcome any students or staff who are available to help out.

The volunteers come in the night before to start preparing meals and return on Christmas morning at 6 a.m. to set up. The volunteers, including Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, will serve food between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Leftover food is never an issue, Cole said, because volunteers prepare take-home meals and to-go bags for elder members of the families who are unable to attend the dinner.

Gwen Watkins of the Office of Government and Community Relations said that after all the gifts — many of which are donated by Pitt students and faculty — are given out to families and children, the excess ones are handed out at women’s shelters in Pittsburgh.

Watkins said international students have attended the dinner over the past four years, but she saw the most participation at last year’s dinner.

“They love it, and it’s great because they don’t have any place to go,” she said.