It is our year-round mission to reach out in friendship to our isolated and lonely elderly neighbors. Holidays are a time that together with over 350 volunteers, in five counties, we pull out all the stops.

Plans are underway to create lasting holiday memories, and we invite you to join us. We have begun to generate our invitation lists, order supplies, rally our dessert makers, and gather the menu items. Paper delivery bags will soon be exclusively designed and decorated by our youngest volunteers. These bags are a gift in themselves as our delivery volunteers often remark about how a bag from the previous holiday is now on display in the elder’s home. It has started their own holiday tradition.

I can’t image planning and carrying out the steps for preparing a traditional holiday meal for 225 people. That would keep me up at night. Here in Marquette, the various volunteers and cooks at the Elks Lodge #405 provide the dine-in site and have everything under control.

In fact, they are involved in checking the grocery inventory, creating a delicious meal of turkey, potatoes, gravy, and vegetables, assisting with assembly of the delivery items, serving the dine-in guests, and the last ones to turn out the kitchen light. Speaking of the kitchen, it is licensed by the local health department for food safety. Lead cooks are also certified in safe food handling practices. So, no worries there.

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are a Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly tradition. Older neighbors who would otherwise be alone are brought together or visited at their homes on each holiday. Learn how you can start your own holiday tradition by contributing or volunteering with LBFE. (Photo courtesy of LBFE)

LBFE holiday dinners are available from ten locations to over 1,000 elderly neighbors in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, Marquette and Ontonagon. We encourage folks to dine-in with us and enjoy the family style atmosphere. Volunteers provide rides and dine with their passengers. Public transportation buses are arranged where possible to accommodate mobility challenges.

LBFE tradition includes that a carnation, holiday craft and greeting card are components of every delivered meal. The friend knocking at the door turns this activity into a friendship visit on a special day. Either way, at home, or at meal sites, hugs are available.

Back to the weather. Christmas Eve two years ago, it was a near white out in the Marquette area and snow depths approached 24″ without a drift depending on where you were. My drive three miles home from the Elks Lodge that day included the white knuckles to go along with the white out descriptive moniker of the day. My point is, even Yoopers were staying home and waiting things out.

How were we going to provide meals on Christmas Day? There were 165 elderly folks who would be watching out their windows expecting a visitor with their meal. Another 60 were planning dine-in.

I am not going to say there was a Rudolph in our mist, however, there was an amazing group of volunteers who got it done. If you can imagine it, that is what they did. They plowed and shoveled their way in and then many turned around and did the same at the elder’s home so they could reach the front door.

Something about storms and holidays. They can absolutely bring out the best in people. Maybe that plow and shovel are leveling the playing field in some way.

Consider this your invitation to join LBFE this holiday season. Refer an elderly neighbor, sponsor a meal, or consider our many volunteer opportunities at our ten locations. Details at lbfemichigan.org. Thank you and happy holidays.