Chamber raises $2,000 for Christmas dinner

The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce raised more than $2,000 last Wednesday morning to help fund a Dec. 23 Christmas dinner for down-and-out Jackson County residents.

Kurt Kilgore of Rockabilly Auction, Commerce, helped attendees get into the spending spirit as he auctioned off items donated by chamber members at the group’s December breakfast meeting.

This will mark the second Christmas dinner, said Shane Short, chamber president, who noted that the dinner is not a chamber project, but rather an effort started last year by five individual.

“We understood that a lot of people had lost jobs last year and a lot of people were going through the food bank,” Short recalled. “That kind of started the conversation.”

The other founding members included Roy Stowe, Kathy Wilbanks, Ruth Joiner and Michael Helms. As word got out, other people got involved. This year some 35-40 volunteers will make the Christmas dinner happen

“Last year we fed 200 people at Jackson County Comprehensive High School,” he told the audience. “We hope to serve 500 this year.”

The sit-down dinner will feature restaurant-style service, said Short. Guests will be met at the door by a host, taken to a well-decorated table and seated, their beverage orders will be taken, food will be brought to the table, followed by dessert.