Volunteers at the Maranatha Church in north Nanaimo will serve up a free Christmas Day dinner, one of two such meals in the city on Dec. 25. (submitted photo/Maranatha Church)

By Alex Rawnsley

holiday meals

Pair of free meal options available in Nanaimo on Christmas Day

Dec 18, 2023 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — Open restaurants and a pair of free meal events are ensuring locals will have full bellies and somewhere to go on Christmas Day.

Both the Nanaimo 7-10 Club and Maranatha Church will welcome all comers, expected to be hundreds of people, for free turkey dinners with all the fixings.

Barry Hansen, Maranatha Church Pastor, said their event will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at their Portsmouth Rd. location in Nanaimo’s north end, and he’s expecting between 150 to 200 people.

“People who are experiencing homelessness, people in other similar type situations, or people who are alone and don’t have family, friends or places to go and would like to be connected or alone on Christmas Day.”

He added the event is a way to promote community and come together during the holidays.

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Inflationary pressures are also expected to see more people reach out this year.

“People who might not be able to afford to put together a full-on turkey dinner with all the fixings, with food inflation it’s just becoming more and more inaccessible for people. There’s a variety of people who we see coming out and expect to come out.”

Last year, around 120 meals were served at the church in the first year they’d hosted an event. Hansen noted they’ve been involved in similar setups in years past.

A takeout service will also be offered for those who want to come, but opt not to stay.

The meal is coming together as a result of donations from the church congregation, as well as partnerships with groups like Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank, who are providing some of the ingredients.

Nanaimo 7-10 Club will host their free Christmas meal between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Dec. 25, one of many holiday feasts the non-profit society has run over the years.

They’ll host at St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Chapel St. in the downtown core, with the Selby St. Mission also involved in the event.

The Society’s director Gord Fuller told NanaimoNewsNOW they’ll also serve up a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, in addition to having takeout trays available.

“We usually see over 250 people per year, so we may see more than that [this year]. We try to have enough that we can feed at least 400 people, which is a considerable number really.”

He said it’s important, especially at this time of year, for people to help out where they can.

“There’s a lot of need out there and if you’re able to [please help]. People say to me ‘thank you for what you’re doing’, but my comment to them is ‘I do what you can’. If everybody can do what they can, this would be a far better world.”

While no free community meals are available in the Oceanside region on Christmas Day, organizations in both Parksville and Qualicum are looking to brighten the season in the lead up to Dec. 25.

St. Stephen’s Church in Qualicum Beach will host their regular, monthly community dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., while the Mt. Arrowsmith Salvation Army will hold their meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20.

In addition to the free meals available, several Nanaimo-area restaurants are planning to be open on Christmas Day.

A list cultivated by Tourism Nanaimo shows nearly a dozen options for sit-down or take-away food options:

1. Minnoz Restaurant – Coast Bastion Hotel (8 a.m.- 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.)
2. Alice’s Restaurant – 728 Nicol St. (7:30 a.m.- 8 p.m.)
3. Zalathai Thai Restaurant – 22 Victoria Cres. (12 p.m. – 3 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.)
4. Breakfast Nook, Quality Inn – 440 Selby St. (Christmas dinner, pick up only, call: 236-628-2329)
5. Noodlebox – Port Place Shopping Centre (12 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
6. Well Public House – Casino Nanaimo (4 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
7. Chick to Sea – 150 Terminal Ave. (11 a.m.-10 p.m.)
8. Nanaimo Golf Club (Offering “To-Go Christmas Feast” for Dec. 24 pick up only. Call 250-758-2451 for details)
9. Shanghai City Restaurant – 215-2000 Island Highway (11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.)
10. Manvirro’s Indian Grill – 1045 Terminal Ave. (11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.)
11. Roll and Chicken – 3026 Ross Rd. (11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.)

Tourism Nanaimo notes the Grand Hotel, while typically open on Christmas Day, is not this year due to ongoing renovations.

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