Volunteers Jim Ray, from left, Betty Haldeman and Dennis Keller are ready to serve people at the annual Havre Community Christmas Dinner on Sunday.
John and Betty Haldeman stood behind the counter at the Havre Eagles Club on Sunday, dishing out food to people at the annual Havre Community Christmas Dinner.
They've been volunteering for this duty for years, just as they do when they drive in from their Bear's Paw Mountains home to volunteer at the Chinook Community Thanksgiving Dinner.
"We have a great time, we just love it," said Betty Haldeman.
"It's about a 100-mile round trip," she said of their journey to Havre.
"We are all alone in the Bear's Paw," she said. "We only have one neighbor."
So, she said, in addition to the volunteer work, she has made friends with the volunteer force and the people who get their Christmas dinner at the Eagles.
Among those people is Jim Ray, who drove in from Big Sandy to volunteer, and has for about 12 years.
"It's kind of boring around Big Sandy," he said laughing. "Everyone's gone somewhere."
"It's great to give back to the community," he said.
Dennis Keller drives in from 26 miles north of Havre to help prepare the food.
"It's fun to do this," he said. "It's fun meeting the people."
The Bergren family has been running the program for about a decade now.
It's what Bob Bergren says is "a labor of love."
Community residents and businesses make contributions to offset the costs, he said.
"The community puts on the Christmas dinner," he said. "And we are glad to participate."
One kitchen crew prepares the meals at the Eagles Club, while his father, Jerry Bergren, coordinates the staff and the family-owned P. J.'s Restaurant and Casino a block away.
"This is the one day of the year that the restaurant is closed," Bob Bergren said. "And he is there preparing the meals."
About 450 people passed through the lines at the Eagles, he estimates. About 300 meals were delivered to shut-ins during the morning.
The crowd is a cross-section of the community, he said.
As people dined on the meal, they were entertained by musician and Elvis impersonator Ray Miller.
"Ray's been doing this since I've been involved," Bergren said. "The people love him."
