MARIETTA — Christmas morning, many spent time opening gifts and enjoying the camaraderie of family and friends. For MUST Ministries CEO Ike Reighard, his staff and volunteers, they spent the morning trying to provide a bit of that joy to those living in the most dire conditions.
The way they do that, Reighard said, is by providing the unhoused a basic necessity every Dec. 25: a hot meal. On a chilly Wednesday morning, the shelter provided just that during their annual Christmas dinner.
Residents of the facility’s homeless shelter and those off the street were welcome to enjoy a hot meal served by volunteers. The meal was served at MUST’s Hope House shelter at 1297 Bells Ferry Rd., in Marietta.
The meal aims to provide not just food, Reighard said, but also dignity and respect to those who need it most. For Reighard, it’s a practice that goes back to his childhood days when his mother would offer meals to the homeless from her own kitchen.
“We consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to be there … we can be that safe haven,” Reighard said. “I have a fundamental belief that no one should have to spend Christmas alone.”