Holiday Dinner Serves Up Togetherness and Cheer

One by one, they thanked Donn Delson. For giving the lonely a place to celebrate Christmas with others. For serving the down-and-out the good holiday dinner they were too poor to afford. For providing a way for people with everything to be thankful for to give a little something back.

Most of all, they thanked him for making everyone, from the homeless to the elderly, feel a little better on Christmas Day.

For the third consecutive year, Delson, one of the leaders of the Conejo Valley’s large Jewish community, spearheaded a hearty Christmas Day dinner at Thousand Oaks High School for anyone who wanted to come. And by midafternoon on Wednesday, more than 300 people had taken Delson up on his offer, partaking of holiday turkey, potatoes and stuffing courtesy of Conejo Community Dinners and temples Adat Elohim, Etz Chaim and Beth Haverim. That number was expected to double by day’s end.

“It really gives people a sense of community,” Delson said, watching as volunteer waiters eagerly served an elderly couple dessert. “It’s a way for people to come together, whether they are seniors or young families. If they don’t have a place to go on Christmas, they can always come here.”

By his own admission, Bill Morris had nowhere to go this Christmas. For yet another holiday season, in fact, the 30-year Thousand Oaks resident had no place to call home.

But as he mounted his bicycle Wednesday after a healthy helping of turkey, Morris said he had a lot to be happy for--even if he was spending much of his time riding back and forth between the Conejo Valley churches doubling as homeless shelters this winter.

“Once you’re down, it’s hard to get back up, I’ll tell you,” Morris said, explaining that he lost his house and job after a car crash left him temporarily unable to walk. “I am so grateful for this. I wouldn’t have eaten today if it wasn’t for this place being here.”

Thanks to a school bus provided by the Laidlaw bus company, about 50 seniors from Camarillo’s Leisure Village retirement community were able to spend Christmas with others in Thousand Oaks.

“A lot of our seniors were going to be alone,” said Jean Arrid, the 77-year-old organizer of the trip. “I got out of a sick bed to bring them here. This way, we’re together, enjoying a good dinner. I hope we’re all around to do it again next year.”

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The dinner was also a way for Thousand Oaks residents--from high school students to seniors--to do something constructive on Christmas Day. So many Conejo Valley residents offered to volunteer, in fact, that there was a waiting list to cook or serve, according to Delson. Many heard about the event through Conejo Valley Jewish temples.

“I’m Jewish, so I would have had nothing to do today,” said Delson’s 19-year-old son, Brad, who managed to make the list of volunteers while home on vacation from UCLA. “I think this is a really good way for the Jewish community to give something back.”

Aaron and Pamela Jones of Thousand Oaks were thankful. The Joneses, who said they are struggling to raise their six children, saw a flier for the Christmas dinner and decided to attend, since they had no real plans for the holiday.

“These people could be home with their families, but they’re here, serving us,” said Pamela Jones, escorting three of her children back to the table. “That’s so nice. The old lady that waited on us, she was here every five minutes, asking if we wanted more.”

“This is a very nice way to bring people together to enjoy Christmas,” Aaron Jones said. “We have no family out here. With this dinner, I feel like I’m with the relatives.”

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Mittie Hughes, 87, considers the Christmas dinner to be something of a social gathering for the Conejo Valley senior community, since many elderly people do not get out very often.

“There are many things I come here for,” Hughes said. “The good food, and to give thanks. But especially for the people. There are so many people I never see anymore. It’s just a good atmosphere. It’s wonderful of [Delson] and his family to do this.” Making others feel better on Christmas is Connie Kraczewski’s favorite way to spend the holiday. The 75-year-old grandmother, a 37-year Thousand Oaks resident, said Christmas Eve is her time with her daughter and in-laws. On Christmas Day they visit other relatives, so she, like many seniors, is alone.

But by volunteering for the dinner at Thousand Oaks High, Kraczewski can meet others like herself, and she can help them spend a joyful Christmas together.

“I really like doing this,” she said. “It gives me something to do. For a lot of us, our kids come to visit, and then they’re gone. This way, we can get together and have a good time, maybe even make some new friends. It’s a nice thing to do on Christmas.”