“Christmas For Everyone” Ready For 34th Annual Holiday Dinner

On Tuesday, Christmas for Everyone founder Mary Breshears-Perez
was coordinating volunteers all-day long, either in person or by phone.

(by Sam Richards) – For 34 Decembers, Mary Breshears-Perez has put her heart and soul into making sure people who need a meal, some clothes, maybe a haircut or some companionship at Christmas time. This year was no different.

On Tuesday, 15 or so volunteers with the nonprofit Christmas for Everyone were buzzing throughout a building behind the Light of Grace Korean Presbyterian Church on Morello Avenue doing last-minute work, sorting clothes, preparing places where Wednesday’s guests will leave their bags as they’re served dinners featuring turkey and ham and the trimmings.

“This is my heartbeat,” said Breshears-Perez, who founded Christmas for Everyone in 1985. She expects 130 volunteers to be working on Christmas day, and dozens more have pitched in at various points in December. God gives us something to do — it’s not my program, it’s His, and I’m blessed to work on it.”

This year, she believes Christmas for Everyone will provide meals, clothes and other needs or about 1,000 people. That number, Perez said, reflects a good economy; during tougher economies like the 2007-2008 Great Recession, that number was closer to 3,000. There are fewer people in need, and more people in a position to give, during good economies, she said.

In 1985, Breshears-Perez worked with her church and other volunteers to serve about 100 people Christmas dinner and give them some necessities. For about 30 years now, Perez has run the program independently.

No one, she said, has ever been paid.

The volunteers come from all over — community activists, their friends, area churches, service clubs, community service programs for high school students.

Barbara Kapsalis of Martinez said she likes to give back to her community. On Tuesday, she was sorting and folding clothes to be given out the next day.

“I try to get students involved in giving back, working with the schools,” Kapsalis said. “They seem to enjoy doing it, and often they return after they’re out of school.

Breshears-Perez said Kapsalis is one of a squad of longtime volunteers who “if I should die, could take over” Christmas for Everyone and run it.

Another is Amy Savitz of Concord, who this year is in charge of deliveries for the homebound, including hospice patients. On Tuesday, there were 55 deliveries of food and other items Including a Christmas gift) scheduled for central Contra Costa County on Wednesday. Eleven volunteer drivers were set to make five deliveries each.

“I’m going to throw a stuffed animal in with that as well,” Savitz said. “It’s chaos, but it’s organized chaos.”

As clothing and other items were sorted in one part of Martinez, a group of volunteer cooks had taken over a caterer’s kitchen to get the stuffing and the yams ready for Wednesday’s big meal at the Korean church. Kevin Murray of Martinez is the kitchen chief this year, his sixth as a CFE volunteer. Tuesday was spent leading preparation of side dishes, and cooking the meats begins about 3 a.m. Christmas day, he said.

“At 6 o’clock, the final prep and warming starts, so that the hot boxes full of food begin to flow to the service location,” the Korean church, Murray said. “We continue sending hot boxes until about 1 p.m., with food being served until after 2.” Pleasant Hill Vice Mayor Sue Noack was in charge Tuesday of the “Interact” volunteers, a group of high school junior Rotarians helping in the prep kitchen.

“Christmas is often all about getting gifts for the kids,” said Noack, standing next to trays of stuffing waiting to be cooked. “This is about the kids giving back at Christmas.” Christmas for Everyone has had its ups and downs over the years, with challenges findling locations to serve the big meal, getting donations and volunteers, and from thieves. There was a significant break-in burglary at CFE’s storage warehouse in 2008, and an even more devastating warehouse burglary in 2013. The latter event resulted in the loss $50,000 worth of gifts, toys, tools, clothing, blankets furniture and equipment needed to produce the annual event, putting it in jeopardy. Breshears-Perez and a fellow volunteer saw a van with some of their stolen items at the Solano Public Market flea market in North Concord. Police came, and a suspect was arrested for the burglary.

There are challenges every year, Breshears-Perez said. “It keep us on our knees praying a lot.”

But the kindness of strangers (and friends) saved the event that year, and continue to sustain it. This year, Breshears-Perez said, a Blackhawk doctor (and his staff and patients) and the Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley came through in a big way.

And on Wednesday, people will drive, be driven and walk to the Korean church for a hot meal, clothes, toys, perhaps a haircut, and some human compassion.

“I feel so blessed by God to be doing this, and I say that to him frequently.”