Louisville's Largest Potluck was Way Cool!

Christmas Day has been one for the history book. The Way Cool Potluck made for a special day with hundreds of prepared meals coming in from caring citizens in our community. The day began with breakfast at 7 AM. This sit down meal allowed our guests to give their orders to volunteers who acted as waiters and waitresses. Breakfast included eggs to order, sausage and bacon, blueberry muffins, biscuits, fresh fruit, oatmeal, pancakes and juice. Many had their fill as seconds and thirds were served at both the Market Street Family and Women’s Campus and the Jefferson Street Men’s Campus.

The real fun began when the Mission choir began performing at 11:00 AM, signaling the start of Louisville’s Largest Potluck: the Wayside Way Cool Potluck. Because of the generosity of hundreds, home-cooked turkeys, hams, sides and desserts were prepared and delivered to the Mission before the meal began. Residents could not believe how wonderful the meal was as they spent Christmas at the Mission, many separated from family and friends. The caring volunteers who spent the day with us helped to make this day a little brighter and full of surprises: home-cooked foods.

Residents of the women’s shelter said they could hardly believe the variety of food that was served. Each seemed to discover their favorite Christmas dish and many sampled some of Louisville’s best cooking. Hundreds of cookies and desserts lined the kitchen while turkeys and hams got their final cooking and heat-up in the ovens. Residents remarked how tender the turkeys were and how well seasoned the hams and sides had been prepared. One lady told me she just wanted to try everything, having for dessert a sampling of six different sweet treats. Another resident remarked it was just like going to Christmas dinner at his mothers.

Tears were in many eyes as they not only observed the hospitality of our volunteers and the good food, but told of the wonderful Christmas gifts that had been given their children the night before (supplied by Wayside Christmas sponsor volunteers). One lady in our Safe Haven for mentally ill women summed it up by saying “this was a Christmas meal…one like I remember when I was a child.”

This is a sampling of the many food dishes prepared:

Desserts
Kentucky Jam Cake
Italian Crème Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Popcorn Cake
Carrot Cake
Hummingbird Cake
Cheesecake
Christmas Cake
Marble Cake
Banana Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Pineapple Cake
Homemade Truffles
Homemade Turtles
Rice Krispy Treats
Homemade Fudge
Fresh Fruit
Ambrosia
Candied Apples
Apple Pie
Blueberry Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Chocolate Silk Pie
Peach Pie
Pecan Pie
Chocolate Chip Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie
Derby Pie

Sides
Pineapple Casserole
Broccoli Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Grits
Corn Pudding
Macaroni and Cheese
Dressing of every kind
Green Beans
Greens
Italian Green Beans
Baked Beans
Hot German Potato Salad
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberries
Rolls

Meats
Turkey: roasted and fried
Ham
Country Ham
Roast Beef
Roast Pork Loin
Beef Stew with Noodles

I have probably missed several dozen of the dishes but this gives you an idea of the variety and the care given to this meal by many good cooks in our community. Thanks for sharing your special Christmas dish with our residents. It is a wonderful, loving act of kindness.

God Bless and Merry Christmas,
Tim and Nina Moseley

PS Special thanks to the Knight Foundation volunteers for their high energy service work at the Mission. They have made an impact on the problem of homelessness and they are a wonderful group of young people.