Dec 21, 2003 By Christine Haines 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Santa’s elves have little on Theresa Gladden and her group of volunteers at the Brownsville Soup Kitchen when it comes to preparing for the holiday rush. The volunteers are preparing for four major events sponsored by the soup kitchen, including today’s distribution of toys to underprivileged families in the area, food basket distributions, Christmas dinner for several hundred area residents and a winter coat voucher hand-out.

Paper ornaments with the name and age of each child on them were placed on Christmas trees at the Flatiron Building Heritage Center, Brownsville General Hospital, St. Mary Roman Catholic Church and the Historic Church of St. Peter in Brownsville for area residents to take to provide presents for the children. In addition, Tom Clark at TJ Enterprises donated toys to the drive.

Gladden said about 500 children were signed up for the toy drive.

“Toys can be picked up (today) at the Elks building, starting at 2 p.m.,” Gladden said.

At least 50 Christmas food baskets will be handed out at the soup kitchen early Monday, beginning at 7 a.m.

Gladden said Brownsville General Hospital staff donated about half of the food for the baskets, with the rest coming from members of the community. She said a church in Blainesburg donated a pickup truck full of food for the baskets as well.

While only those people who pre-registered for the food baskets are guaranteed the baskets, vouchers and other food items may be available for others in need.

“This is my sad time of the year. I just feel bad for everybody. My children treat me so well. I think everyone should have it as good as I do,” Gladden said.

The soup kitchen will serve Christmas dinner Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with meals delivered to senior citizens at Mulligan Manor, Brownsville House and Brownsville Apartments, as well. Gladden said she expects to serve about 250 meals for the holiday, down from about 330 last year, but the reduced number of meals doesn’t mean a reduced need in the area.

“Since we’re having it on Tuesday, some of them said that’s not Christmas dinner and didn’t want it delivered. Others are already being picked up by their kids,” she said.

Gladden said about 35 clients of the Archives Center, run by Cross Keys Human Services, normally eat at the soup kitchen Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

“They’re just part of our family now. They’re just tickled that they get to have Christmas dinner with us,” she said.

The soup kitchen will be closed Dec. 24-26, to give the volunteers a rest for the holiday, and reopen Monday, Dec. 29. In addition to the regular free lunch program Dec. 29, coat vouchers will be handed out at the soup kitchen from 1 to 3 p.m.

No sign-up was necessary for the coat program.

The vouchers will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, though families that have received coats in the past several years may be restricted on the number of vouchers they can receive, Gladden said.

The vouchers are to be used for coats and other winter outer clothing for school-aged children only.