Christmas brunch at the fire department. South Portland Community of Kindness
Over the weekend, South Portland residents delivered a Christmas Eve dinner and a Christmas brunch to the men and women of the South Portland Police, South Portland Fire, and Regional Emergency Dispatch departments. Snack packs were also delivered on the Dec. 23 to city bus drivers, transportation, and members of public works.
The effort was organized by the South Portland Community of Kindness Facebook group. The group is composed of South Portland residents that identify and assist with community needs. Outreach was also done through South Portland Friends and Neighbors Facebook group. The volunteers used the Meal Train app to organize their efforts.
Christmas Eve dinner menu included lasagna, crunchy chicken, lobster mac and cheese, meatballs, roast potatoes, soup, turkey with stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, stuffed Italian bread, soufflé, homemade rosemary bread, roast veggies, cookies, brownies, bars, pies and more.
The brunch on the Christmas day included French toast, muffins, fruit salad, kugel, ham roast, cinnamon rolls, homemade granola and yogurt, bacon, biscuits and homemade jams, bagels with cream cheese, quiches, coffee cake, candy, juices, and more.
“I think it’s important that we as a community show our appreciation to those who work on behalf of our community and provide services, our fire services, our police services, regional dispatch, you know which is our 911, as well as those who are driving our buses, and working in public works, all hours of day and night, in all kinds of weather,” said Sari Greene, creator of the South Portland Community of Kindness.
On Dec. 24, meals were delivered to the South Portland Police Station, Central Fire Station, Western Ave Fire Station, Cash Corner Fire Station, and Regional Emergency Dispatch in Portland.
Brunch items were delivered to the police station, Regional Dispatch, and to the Cash Corner Fire Station on Dec. 25 where the three stations came together for the meal.
“It was fantastic, it was really great. We had about 48 volunteers,” said Greene.
There are many ways in which South Portland residents have come together for the community. SoPo Cooks!, from the South Portland Community of Kindness, cooked and delivered over 1600 meals to families and individuals impacted by the pandemic. The South Portland Food Cupboard Brigade, also from the Facebook group, delivered groceries weekly from the food cupboard to South Portland Housing Authority residents who could not physically access the cupboard during the pandemic.
The South Portland Community of Kindness, with the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club and South Portland School District, worked together to provide new backpacks with school supplies and home packs with hygiene supplies to South Portland School District housing insecure families.
The South Portland Human Rights Commission, along with the South Portland Housing Authority and the Community of Kindness, organized an emergency initiative to provide and deliver diaper bags with Pedialyte, PediaSure, baby bottles, and sippy cups to arriving immigrant families.
“One of the most amazing things for me is that whenever we discover a need and I put it out on the group, there is just instant response, and getting volunteers is never an issue,” Greene said. “This is a community that really, really wants to contribute and help each other out,” Greene said.
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