A free Christmas Dinner will be served at the Fork and Spoon restaurant in Bozeman, in partnership with Main Street Overeasy, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Christmas Day.
“There’s so much need right now with people trying to find food and places to go,” Tim Heizer said.
Heizer works in the window of Main Street Overeasy and also helps where needed as a floater. He enjoys giving back to his community, and the idea for a free meal began after Thanksgiving.
Following a donation drive for the food bank, Heizer wanted to take his efforts "a step further" and set out to organize a free Christmas Dinner. Heizer and the pay-what-you-can restaurant, Fork and Spoon, put their heads together to offer a filling dinner for those needing a place to eat.
“We’ll be serving ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, casseroles, salads, rolls, and desserts,” Heizer said.
The HRDC’s Fork and Spoon holds a large feast for Thanksgiving every year, but with shortages, the restaurant is usually closed for the other holidays. Jacqui Colt, a catering chef and events coordinator with the Fork and Spoon, was thrilled when Main Street Overeasy reached out.
“They offered to come in and sort of take over the kitchen, cook a complete dinner, staff the whole thing,” Colt said.
With help from Hope Lutheran Church volunteers and employees from a local dealership, the Christmas dinner is set to feed more than 200 people.
Heizer hopes to continue this tradition for years to come, and the HRDC would love other business partners to reach out for similar events during the holidays.
