Topeka church giving away hot Christmas Eve meals Thursday at noon

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - New Mount Zion Baptist Church is giving away hundreds of hot meals on Christmas Eve.

The church is having a drive-thru event Thursday at noon. This is a new time according to Pastor Delmar White.

The church will hand out 250 to 300 hot meals.

People are asked to stay in their cars and form a line in the church parking lot. Volunteers will be handing out meals underneath the church awning.

Senior Pastor Delmar White said volunteers will be wearing masks and gloves.

"Meals will already be boxed and bagged, so there won't be any cross-contamination as relates to touching the food or anything like that," White said. "It will be handed into the car. Ideally, we'd like them to tell us like back seat. We can put it in the back seat or if they have an SUV just pop the trunk."

White said he is seeing a lot of need in the community due to the pandemic. He understands many people are seeking help for the first time.

"This is not to shame anybody or make anybody feel less than," White said. "This is our way of supporting the community to say we care. We feel your need and we know your need."

The drive-thru event will start at 12 p.m. at 2801 SE Indiana Avenue in Topeka.

White said anyone that wants a meal needs to be inside the car at the event.