HANCOCK - Martha Hakala first learned about Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly soon after they began operation in Ripley in 1982, and she's been involved with them since, as a volunteer for about 15 years, and as a guest at their holiday meals for about 20 years.
Hakala, who was finishing her Christmas meal Friday at Church of Resurrection in Hancock, said as a volunteer she and her husband drove some of the organization's elder friends to doctors appointments. She also helped with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday meals.
"It was quite an experience," she said. "A lot of friends and a lot of fun."
Little Brothers performs a needed function by providing companionship and help for many of the local elderly residents who may otherwise be alone, Hakala said.
"It's a wonderful organization," she said. "This area is so fortunate to have them here."
Volunteer Ken Steiner, who cooked the Christmas meals, said he's been working the Christmas dinner at Resurrection for 27 years.
Steiner said he got started at 9:30 a.m, for the 2 p.m. meal, which included six turkeys and about 30 pounds of potatoes and rutabagas. The turkeys were actually cooked at Michigan Technological University's Wadsworth Hall kitchen, but they were cut up for serving in the nine meal sites.
Steiner said great effort is put into making the meals by the volunteers.
"We make our own gravy from scratch," he said. "We make a stock from (turkey) bones."
Steiner said over the years he's gotten some of his friends to help out at the holiday meals, and this year he got some friends who are musicians to play holiday songs.
"I'm a true believer in Little Brothers," he said.
Volunteer Bill Sewell said he's been volunteering at the LBFE holiday meals every year since the early 1990s soon after he had his first contact with the organization.
"I was Scoutmaster in Hancock, and I brought my troop into help," he said.
Although many of those Boy Scouts have since moved from the area, Sewell said some still occasionally help out with the holiday meals.
Sewell said he's worked with many of the same people at the holiday meals, and they get along well.
"We have this camaraderie we've developed over the years,' he said.
Volunteer Susan Burack, who organized the dinning room at the Resurrection meal site, said she's been involved with the meals for 25 years.
At the meals, Burack said volunteers do their best to make the dinning experience a pleasant one by doing such things as placing fresh flowers around the room, and using china plates and real utensils.
"It's all an important part," she said.
Members of the community help with the meals, also, by providing cookies and dessert items, putting up decorations, and doing clean up.
"There are people who volunteer way ahead of time," she said. "We have people of all ages."
