LANSING, Mich. (WSYM) - Not everyone has a warm dinner to eat on Christmas, or a family to eat it with.
That's why dozens of volunteers from Volunteers of America spent their Christmas delivering hot meals straight to people's doorsteps.
FOX 47's Alani Letang spoke with volunteers who've made giving back their Christmas tradition.
"I've been doing it since I was five or six. We've always come after we do the stockings in the morning and then head over here and help out," said Ellis Davison, volunteer. His sister Kelsey Davison who also volunteered added, "and its been a family thing ever since."
Christmas morning volunteers delivered and packaged hundreds of meals to Lansing area seniors who are homebound.
In fact, one volunteer Arlene Sharp has been participating every Christmas with the Volunteers of America for 35 years.
"Makes you feel good to help those people. It has to be done" said Arlene Sharp.
To make sure everything did get done, some volunteers started at 5 A.M. Their duties included cooking and preparing more than 700 meals, having more volunteers pick them up, and deliver them straight to people's doors.
They tell FOX 47 News it's the least they can do, to bring joy to those less fortunate
Nikayla Dabney, Volunteers of America employee, participated on Christmas morning for the first time. She and her husband said they were eager to get in the kitchen and serve their community.
"I've been blessed my entire life my parents have spoiled me, so to be able to give back to people that are less fortunate it makes me feel like I'm actually doing something good," said Dabney.
And for those delivering, they said it brings another level of fulfillment for them.
"It makes you understand exactly what's happening. I got to meet a couple of the people that received meals and they sat and talked with me. And you know that they're getting something special and it's making their day a lot nicer than what it would be if they were just sitting at home alone" said John Hoekje, volunteer coordinator. Hoekje started to volunteer with meal preparation after he had made deliveries in the past.
