Labour group serves Christmas Eve dinner to thousands in Vancouver, Surrey
'It’s a place for families to come and enjoy Christmas Eve and have a nice meal and get together'
Volunteers with the BC Federation of Labour served up Christmas cheer and many full plates at a special Christmas Eve dinner for less fortunate people in Metro Vancouver.
The 24th annual Labour Community Christmas Dinner was served at the Maritime Labour Centre in Vancouver and the Whalley Legion in Surrey Monday night.
The long-running tradition is one way organized labour gives back to the community, federation president Laird Cronk said.
"People get to connect tonight. It's a safe place. It's a place for families to come and enjoy Christmas Eve and have a nice meal and get together," Cronk said.
Cronk, who was at the Vancouver dinner, said he expected about 1,000 people would sit down for the meal in that city.
He said that the menu, as one might expect, featured turkey "with all the fixings" and pumpkin pie for dessert.
Volunteers also gave away donated clothing, food hampers and toys.
The BC Federation of Labour is an organization of public and private sector unions. It advocates for unions and labour causes.
The organization says its membership includes over 500,000 people within the ranks of its affiliated unions.
