By Matt Snyder
SHARON — It’s definitely Sharon when a Christmas dinner for needy families is hosted by Quaker Steak and Lube and Santa passes out treats from Daffin’s Candies.
At least 50 people crowded into the Lube in downtown Sharon Monday night to a dinner of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, topped off with treats and Quaker Steak wings. The holiday classic “Rudolph” played on their big-screen televisions.
“It’s really a good celebration,” said the Rev. Richard Roberts, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Sharon.
He called it a no-strings-attached event about opening doors to the community. “That’s the joy of giving, of the season,” he said.
The Lube hosted the event, and other area businesses contributed: Daffin’s, Shenango Valley Meats, Sirna and Sons Produce, and Reinhart Food Services, said Quaker Steak marketing coordinator Megan Duniec.
And that’s the kind of coming together, said Roberts, that the Shenango Valley needs. Churches, social groups, and businesses need to make those connections and “everyone’s got to work together.”
Manager Jason Kather put the event together. Kather comes from the Austintown Quaker Steak, where in past years they had fed the Mahoning Valley Rescue Mission. He wanted to do that again in Sharon, but there was no rescue mission.
So, they put the event on at Quaker Steak instead, Kather said. They called up a half dozen Sharon churches and the Prince of Peace Center looking for people who were in need.
“It’s definitely going to be an annual event for many years to come,” Kather said.
Roberts said his parishioners were in good cheer, especially when they heard where the holiday meal was. He said they were excited because Quaker Steak is such a well-known restaurant. “Their eyes lit up, because they never get to come here,” he said.
