image description
The American Legion in North Adams has been providing Christmas meals for 60 years.

American Legion Will Provide Meal On Christmas Day

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams American Legion Post 125 will once again provide a Christmas Day meal for all those in need.

William Schrade, chairman of the Be Our Guest Christmas Dinner at American Legion Post 125, said since 1955 the American Legion has been making sure no one goes without a full belly on Christmas.  

"It's just a great thing it allows you to give something from the heart and give back when so many people have given to us so we can enjoy the holiday," Schrade said. "It's a great thing and it really makes you feel good."

Schrade said the Legion will serve ham, mashed potatoes, a dinner roll, and mixed vegetables from 11 to 2. There will also be pumpkin and apple pie. Those who eat at the post home will take home a bag with a ham and cheese sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a cookie.

The Legion will also deliver meals to those who call ahead of time. More than 60 people have signed up for deliveries so far, but he anticipates between another 100 to 200 will call in.

The post delivers to North Adams, Adams, Cheshire, Savoy, Clarksburg, Florida, and even Readsboro, Vt..

Schrade said the dinner is only possible though the kindness of the community members who donate money to purchase the food and volunteer to deliver meals and serve at the Legion.

He said the past few years a lot of younger people have come on board.

"Over the past few years, we have been getting a lot of younger people," he said. "That's how my daughter started, and she was coming down when she was 5 or 6 years old waiting tables and now she is 23 years old and in charge of the meals-to-go."

Schrade said that beyond just a good meal, the dinner also provides company to those who may have nowhere to go on the holidays.

"They have a meal but they sit with other people and just shoot the breeze an eat," he said. "They can just have a good time."


Tags: american legion,   charity,   Christmas story,   dinner,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Colella's Double Lifts SteepleCats in Eighth

By Ben McDonoughiBerkshires.com Sports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – The North Adams Steeplecats were locked in a tense battle with the Vermont Mountaineers, but when the game reached its biggest stage, Matthew Colella rose to the moment.
 
Colella’s bases-clearing double in the bottom of the eighth inning shattered a tie and sent the Steeplecats surging to a 7-3 victory over Vermont.
 
North Adams struck first in the opening inning, piecing together a two-out rally against Vermont starter Luke Deschenes. Chris Diaz reached base before Sebastian Rhoades ripped an RBI single into center field to bring Diaz home with the game’s first run. Jake Butler moved up on the play and later scored when Tony Woodie lifted a sacrifice fly to left, giving the Steeplecats an early 2-0 cushion.
 
Butler delivered another RBI with a single up the middle in the fifth to make it a 3-0 game.
 
Vermont punched back again in the sixth.
 
Elliot Miles opened the inning with a single, and Aidan Botti followed with another hit to keep the rally alive. David Alvarez then stepped in and hammered a two-run single to bring the Steeplecats level. A groundout later in the inning pushed across another run, tying the game at 3-3 and sending the matchup into the late innings with everything hanging in the balance.
 
After North Adams starter Niklas Pavia’s outing ended in the sixth, Jakob Foster entered and helped keep Vermont off the board before Richie Kerstetter took over in the seventh. The Steeplecats’ pitching and defense held firm, buying the offense one more chance to seize control.
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories