David Paiva may be homeless, but on Christmas Day at WareHouse ’23 he didn’t feel that way.
Paiva, who injured his back in a fall seven years ago, has been living on Vancouver’s streets since the accident, sleeping in shelters or outside on the concrete, scrambling for food and clothing. But in the restaurant, which held its annual free Christmas dinner Tuesday, he cheerfully listened to Laura Wolosek play Christmas songs on the piano and smiled as he chatted with his server.
“It’s a blessing here,” Paiva said, sitting at one of the restaurant’s tall tables. “It feels like I have family time being with people here. When my mother and father were around we used to have Christmas dinner, other meals at Beaches, on the waterfront. I feel warm and comfortable inside, and the music is great. This really is my Christmas gift.”
The annual Christmas tradition started somewhere around 1982, said Washington Court of Appeals Judge Rich Melnick. Melnick founded the event with Chuck Chronis, who used to host it in his downtown bar before it closed.
“Nobody really knows when exactly it started,” Melnick said. “It just kind of started off and kept going.”
This year, Melnick said he expected about 600 visitors over the course of the day.
A few blocks north in Uptown Village, Bleu Door Bakery and Molina Healthcare of Washington also had a busy Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning putting together 425 meals. Volunteers from the community went on the road to deliver those meals to the homeless on Monday night and Tuesday. The restaurant also expected 75 visitors from Share House on Christmas night, making the meal total 500, said Bonnie Brosure, owner of Bleu Door.
“Things are going really good,” Brosure said. “And next year, we’re shooting for 700 meals.”
The Bleu Door event started four years ago, and began as a sit-down meal, but Brosure said there wasn’t enough food getting out to the homeless community. Two years ago, the restaurant started taking the meals out to homeless camps.
“It’s a good thing,” Brosure said. “I’m just so overwhelmed by the community and how much help we’ve had.”
At WareHouse ’23, the menu and food haven’t changed much over the decades of free Christmas meals — turkey, ham, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce are the highlights — but the layout is a bit more fancy than it was at Chronis’ bar. One big change is that at the new location, servers take orders from those who come for the free meal, and then deliver it to their tables.
“The location’s changed and personnel have changed a little, but other than that it’s just about the spirit and the food,” Melnick said. “That’s the key.”
Guests also got gifts of brand new scarves, socks, hats, gloves and even some toys for the children. They also got gift bags with toiletries and food.
Mark Matthias, owner of WareHouse ’23 and Beaches, brought the event to his restaurant three years ago. It’s all about spreading the spirit of Christmas, he said.
“We’re doing the same thing Chuck Chronis used to do,” Matthias said. “This is what Christmas is all about. These are all our new family.”
Christy Bettis said she decided to come to the event even though she isn’t homeless, because she likes the camaraderie and festive atmosphere. She and her friend Ron Fields, who came to the dinner with her, have been homeless in the past and had partaken of the free meal in more desperate times, they said.
“It’s a place to meet with friends and celebrate Christmas and to not be alone,” Bettis said. “This music is most moving. I love it.”
Bettis, who still has homeless friends, said she told them all to show up, but as of late morning, they hadn’t arrived.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” she said. “I’ve been homeless in the past. I’ve been separated from my family. I’m in recovery now, and with so much division in the world, I just think this is beautiful. Nobody feels judged here, and the servers are wonderful. I’m thinking I need to get in on the volunteering next year as an alumnae.”
Wolosek’s piano playing was a highlight for many visitors. She came to the restaurant’s Thanksgiving dinner for the community in November and asked if she could play. And people liked her playing so much, organizers asked her to come back and play for the Christmas crowd, she said.
“I was hoping I could contribute something, give people a Merry Christmas,” she said. “I’m really pleased. If they want me to, I’d love to come back next year. It’s a nice Christmas tradition. My family always volunteered. That’s what makes Christmas Christmas.”
Perhaps the youngest volunteer, 8-year-old Aliyah Herndon, said she also was enjoying the spirit of giving.
“This is my first time doing this and it’s cool,” Aliyah said. “It’s nice looking at all the decorations. I’m saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to everyone, asking how they like the music and seeing if they’re comfortable. It feels good to see how they like it here.”
Her mom, Alex Vann, is a server at Beaches who also volunteered for the day and said she wanted her daughter to learn the spirit of Christmas with her.
“I try to do what I can in the community,” Vann said. “I wanted to bring her this time and show her. She’s super excited.”
