Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Coalition Against Poverty in Suffolk (CAPS) organizes events throughout the year designed to help feed those less fortunate. Different organizations partner with CAPS to make these meals happen, and on Friday, Dec. 20, its primary partner was the Windsor-based Purdie Masonic Lodge #170.

But John Melting, senior deacon with the Purdie Lodge, did not just want to do a simple meal this time.

“I said, ‘No, no, no, we’re going to make it a Christmas meal. We’re going to give them a Christmas meal,’” he said. “Because it’s the end of the month, most of their (Electronic Benefits Transfer) EBT money and everything is pretty much gone. Any extra money they have has been spent on the kids or whatever they have, this is kind of like the last hurrah, and I wanted it special.”

Melting’s definition of a special Christmas meal included fried turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, mashed potatoes, rolls, turkey gravy and pumpkin pie.

“When I brought it up to my lodge, they were all in on it — ‘Yes, let’s go for it. Let’s make it special,’” Melting said.

So he bought the food and cooked it, and a team of about 25 volunteers from Purdie, several other lodges and CAPS helped him put on a Christmas feast that was enjoyed by 70 adults and children from the community. The event took place at the Suffolk Masonic Lodge.

“It wouldn’t have happened if Sam Parker, of Suffolk Lodge, hadn’t allowed us to use his lodge, because his lodge was big enough to hold it,” Melting said.

Including people being served seconds, 120 meals were served in all.

Melting shared how he thought the event went overall.

“The smiles on the kids’ faces said it all,” he said. “The smiles were there, especially when Rafael showed up. A lot of them were taking selfies with Rafael.”

In addition to being the event’s primary chef, Melting dressed up and played the role of Rafael the Elf, Santa’s special list-checking elf who Melting said was present because the Purdie Lodge masons “called on a brotherly favor from Santa.”

Melting said that seeing the children smiling and talking made his day.

“That makes me want to do (the event) even more next year,” he said.

He noted that the people aided by the event were primarily from Suffolk, which he indicated is a locality that does not get as much attention as other cities in Hampton Roads, like Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

“The lodges, we do a lot for the local areas, but we want to try and get people more involved in helping the people out here,” he said. “We have a substantial amount of people who are not as fortunate as we are.”

He noted that his day on Dec. 20 started early in the morning, frying the turkeys and making the meals. He and the other organizers arranged for volunteers to serve in shifts throughout the day, but he, Purdie Lodge Master Patrick Joseph Suttle and Purdie Lodge Chaplain Patrick Hampton Suttle worked the entire event.

“As exhausted as I was the next day, I’m ready for next year,” Melting said. “I’m ready to do it again.”

He is hoping to make this Christmas feast into an annual event on the Friday before Christmas, and he hopes to expand the event’s size and reach by drawing support from more lodges.

He has the support of Suttle and Parker, the masters from Purdie Lodge and Suffolk Lodge, respectively.

“Those two have expressed interest to continue this, and that’s why we’re looking forward to going forward and bringing in the other lodges,” Melting said. “And we’ve already started talking about them, and so we’re going to get together (in January) to start working on the logistics on how we can do this and bring in sponsors and other people to help make this a bigger event that maybe can incorporate more groups of people that need recognition.”

Those interested in supporting this endeavor or those simply seeking more information can contact Melting via email at CharityDonations170@outlook.com.