Photo by Shelley Hanson Wheeling Island resident Anthony Phillips gives his service dog, Angel, a piece of ham during the free Christmas day dinner at St. Luke’s Church in Wheeling on Thursday.

WHEELING — Dozens of people hungry for a tasty Christmas dinner got just that for free at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Wheeling Island on Thursday.

The church has been hosting the annual Christmas day dinner for more than 25 years. Organizers and volunteers Rick Daugherty and Don Rebich said the dinner was started by the late Rev. Jim Kelly.

“If the purpose of a church is to reach out and serve and love our community, this is our way of doing it, a dinner on Christmas day,” Rebich said. “What better way to show that we care for our neighbors?”

Daugherty said the dinner is a way to demonstrate God’s love in a practical manner.

“We’re serving people however we can help,” he added.

The number of people who arrive each year varies between 150 to 300 during the three-hour period with takeout dinners available, making sure everyone is fed on Christmas.

“We also do a lot of carryouts and we service the high rises and individual families,” Daugherty said.

The menu included turkey, ham, dressing, green beans, broccoli casserole, homemade pierogies and sweet potatoes. A dessert table featured cookies, pies and cakes.

Those who were in need were also offered some bulk fruits and vegetables to take home including potatoes, tomatoes and bananas donated by Jebbia’s. The bags of food from Jebbia’s were also offered the day prior.

Rebich said “a whole army” of people do the shopping and cooking for the event. Daugherty said five of his nine grandchildren were on hand to help with the event.

“They’ve done it since they were little,” he noted. “I’m very blessed.”

Volunteer Elissa Gross said she was recruited many years ago to help at the dinner by her friends the late Tom and Kathy Burgoyne. She noted the event draws people from everywhere and all denominations.

“I happen to be Jewish so we don’t traditionally celebrate Christmas, however, there are a lot more in common than not,” she said. “We’ve just completed our observance of the holiday of Hanukkah where we lit eight candles for each night.”