Pine Valley Methodist Church to serve thousands of meals on Christmas Eve

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Pine Valley Methodist Church will once again serve thousands of meals across the Wilmington community on Christmas Eve through its annual Christmas Outreach ministry.

Prepared meals will be available for pickup Wednesday, Dec. 24, until 4 p.m. at the church’s Welcome Center at 3788 Shipyard Blvd. A community Christmas Eve dinner is also scheduled to be served at the church at 6:30 p.m.

In the week leading up to Christmas, volunteers delivered meals to local shelters, nursing homes, recovery houses and fire stations, according to the church.

Lead Pastor Tim Reaves said the outreach is open to anyone in need of a warm meal. “No one should go hungry on Christmas,” Reaves said. “This outreach is one way we can care for our neighbors and share the love of Christ in a tangible way.”

The Christmas Outreach ministry began in 2006 and was founded by George Hale, who wanted to teach his children the importance of generosity during the Christmas season. What started with 250 meals has grown into a large-scale community effort that now serves thousands of meals each year, supported by months of planning and the work of dozens of volunteers.

“The original vision was to make sure no family in Wilmington goes hungry over Christmas,” Hale said. “That mission still drives this outreach today. If everyone took a moment to think about someone else, the impact would be incredible.”

Community members in need of a meal are encouraged to visit Pine Valley Methodist Church on Christmas Eve.