OneHolyoke CDC Hosts 10th Annual Community Dinner Celebration at Kelly School

HOLYOKE — OneHolyoke CDC hosted hundreds of Holyoke residents at its 10th annual Holyoke Community Dinner Celebration on Dec. 13 at Kelly School. This year’s event was the most well-attended to date, with more than 115 volunteers also participating.

OneHolyoke has been hosting its free Community Dinner for the past decade, bringing together hundreds of Holyoke residents. The theme for this year’s Community Dinner was “Polar Express, Journey Through Time,” and more than 450 meals were served to the community. The event also featured a DJ, bingo, fun activities for children including a bounce house, and, fitting with the theme of this year’s event, a train to give children rides. There were also visits from Santa and the Grinch. After the event, four trays of food were brought to the warming shelter and men’s shelter at Providence Ministries.

A committee of Holyoke residents and community organizations worked with OneHolyoke to organize this event, including Holyoke Media, MassHire, Holyoke Public Schools, Enlace de Familias, and the Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative.

The annual Community Dinner was also supported by nearly 30 sponsoring community organizations and businesses, including bankESB, Blossom Flower, Holyoke Gas & Electric, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Housing Authority, Holyoke Medical Center, Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke Tax Service, Homework House, Hope Worldwide, Lawler Insurance, MassHire, Mass in Motion, Master Heo’s Tae Kwon Do Child Care, Pat Duffy for State Representative, PeoplesBank, River Valley Counseling Center, Rolling J’s, Scouting America, Sublime Systems, and the Verb is Herb.