The Rev. Shawana McGee remembered encountering some children at La Grange’s First Baptist Church as autumn weather took a turn toward winter.
“They had no socks on,” she said. “And it was the night it was snowing. “We left here, we went right over to Walgreen’s and bought two packages of socks. Do you want to be out in the snow with no socks on your feet?”
That mission of caring and helping continued Christmas day at the church as La Grange’s Caring Place Foundation held its 22nd Annual Christmas Greatest Gift celebration and dinner at First Baptist Church, 20 N. Ashland Ave., drawing about 75 people to celebrate Christ’s birth and enjoy a hearty meal afterward.
McGee, also a La Grange trustee, founded Caring Place to provide refuge for at-risk youth, and make a difference in the life of every child she met, she said. The Greatest Gift dinner evolved from there.
“I wanted to find a way to give something special to a person who didn’t feel worthy or felt alone,” she said. “There are so many people in the holidays that don’t feel loved, so we started doing this to make a difference in someone’s life. We provide the meals and also talk to people and find out if there are other needs they have.”
Among those who were glad to have a place to celebrate Christmas was La Grange Paul Nowicki, who was attending for the second time after being told about it by the former owners of his retirement community.
“I got injured in 2010 and my wife just passed away in October. When my wife passed away, a week later my brother-in-law came to me and said if I wanted to see my wife (again), start with first John in the Bible and read. I had doubt, but ever since I started coming here, I’ve started to know that that’s the truth. I’m starting to communicate closer.”
After the Rev. Maurice McGee, co-pastor with his wife, Shawana McGee, opened the service with a prayer, soprano Kathy Doyle led those gathered in a rendition “Angels We Have Heard On High.”
“It’s just such a beautiful song of praise and it tells the story of the birth of Jesus,” Doyle said.
The church’s children’s choir also sang, and the Rev. Craig Wells, pastor of Sign of the Cross Ministries in La Grange, delivered a message of hope.
Maurice McGee spoke about how the commercialism of Christmas can obscure the meaning of the birthday of Christ.
“If we’re going to celebrate anything, let’s celebrate Jesus,” he said. “I always tell people it’s not my birthday. So whenever anybody asks ‘what should I get you,’ I tell them I don’t really need anything. I’m not mad if you don’t get me anything. The reason for everything that we do is for him (Jesus), to celebrate his birth, and that’s it in a nutshell. What else can we celebrate?”
McGee said the attendance at the Greatest Gift event was somewhat less than previous years, but was confident that the Church had done what it could in getting the word out.
Many volunteers were on hand as well to help the dinner and service go smoothly.
“Christmas is all about giving,” said one woman who grew up in nearby Brookfield and wanted only to be known as Karlen. “I’m blessed and wanted to give back to the community.”
For Maurice McGee, helping out was an extension of his larger calling.
“Without Jesus, where, oh where would we be?” the co-pastor asked from the pulpit as he opened the service. “We have to continue to praise him day in and day out for what he’s doing in our lives.”
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
