Tough year has many in community thankful
Published 1:32 pm Thursday, November 23, 2017
By David Ball
Cora Lawrence said this year has been particularly trying for her and others she knows because of Tropical Storm Harvey, so she’s very thankful for everything and everyone this Thanksgiving.
She and her son, Tommy, were eating their Thanksgiving meal at the Hospitality Center on Gulfway Drive in Port Arthur.
“The food is excellent. It’s very good,” she said. “I’m having a good holiday and I’m looking forward to curling up on the couch and watch some football.”
Fellow diner, Eric Hall, agreed with Lawrence that the food was “wonderful.”
“This is a true blessing. I can’t complain during this holiday,” Hall said.
The Hospitality Center serves a meal every day of the year. Additionally, the holidays are a special time of the year for them.
Christina Vara Green, director of the Hospitality Center, said they were opened for 30 minutes and already served 52 guests with more on the way.
She said yesterday was the hard part, getting everything together.
“Everything is made fresh,” Vara Green said. “People are more giving this year. It’s been amazing. We’re very blessed this holiday season.”
She added that they were additionally blessed because there was no flooding from Harvey.
A continuing challenge for the Hospitality Center, however, is the need for volunteers, particularly on weekdays.
Those interested in volunteering may call 1-888-982-4842 or go to www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org.
“I want to say thank you to everybody for their support,” she said. “We wouldn’t be able to operate without our volunteers Their our heart and soul.
“A lot of our volunteers were affected by Harvey with their own homes.”
This is Vara Green’s 13th year as director. She comes in every day, early in the morning, to serve the public.
“I missed one day during the storm. This is part of my life. I don’t think of it as being a job. It’s part of me,” she said. “I’ve made lots of friends here. They’re my children.”
Volunteers were on the floor and in the kitchen serving, cooking, and cleaning in an assembly line.
Gordon George said he volunteers twice a week on Tuesday and Friday, Christmas day too.
“We have so much fun,” he said. “I’m retired and it’s a pleasure to give back to the community.”
Matthew McKinney also volunteers for Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas and Circle of Hope. He formerly volunteered at the Hospitality Center everyday.
“I enjoy serving people,” McKinney said. “We have lots of new people volunteering today also.”
Two of those new volunteers were a mother and daughter team, Audrey and Anzleigh Webster, of Orange.
Audrey said she wants Anzleigh to understand what serving means in a selfless manner.
“So many are affected by the economy and Harvey this year,” Audrey said. “We lost our home, but we have a place to stay. We want to give back to the community.”
A mainstay every Thanksgiving and Christmas is Smitty’s Catering Service, smoking the turkeys.
Brett Smith said he cooked the 35 turkeys all day and last night.
Several people bought some turkeys. HEB donated some and Smith also bought a few. He said he has no special recipe for cooking the turkeys.
“Everybody tells me I cook the best tasting turkey,” Smith said. “I cook them with veggies, oil, and garlic and herb seasoning.
“I smoke them for two hours uncovered and then smoke them for 10 hours covered. I’ve used a lot of trial and error (in perfecting cooking them) and I still play around with it. I love to cook.”
Smith has a fulltime job with B&B Ice Co. and cooks on the side for fundraisers for people who have cancer.
“I like to help others,” he said.
Smitty’s Catering Service can be contacted at 409-828-0431.