BOISE, Idaho — As many of us get ready to spend the Christmas holiday with loved ones in less than a week, there are some who may not be as fortunate. Which is why the Boise Rescue Mission holds a Christmas banquet at the Cathedral of the Rockies for those in need, every year around this time.
This is the 17th year the Boise Rescue Mission has held its Christmas banquet. Everyone was invited, no matter their circumstances. About 500 to 600 people attended.
Rev. Bill Roscoe told KTVB the Rescue Mission plans to serve 1,800 turkey dinners this weekend, along with handing out toys and gifts to more than 1,600 children and 1,500 food boxes. Those toys are from the Marine Corp Toys for Tots program. Everyone who attended enjoyed a Christmas meal complete with turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy and all of the trimmings. People who attended also got a box of food and turkey to take home, so they'd have it for Christmas day.
“I think one of the most beautiful parts of today is to meet the people who are coming in for the service and you see some of the moms and dads with some of the children and they're just surprised, they're really surprised that they're welcomed here, they're greeted here like they're part of our family because they are part of our family and the sense of blessing that they express is priceless, it's just a beautiful experience,” Rev. Roscoe said.
The Boise Rescue Mission will hold another Christmas banquet in Nampa at the College Church of Nazarene on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.