HALIFAX—It’s not even Halloween yet, but a Halifax-area restaurant owner is already planning to help those less fortunate have a free, hearty and happy Christmas dinner surrounded by others.

Eldon Turner’s small café/diner is as relaxed as the transplanted Newfoundlander himself.

Located in a rental space in the basement of Knox United Church in Lower Sackville, Eldon’s Soup & Sandwiches dishes up everything from hearty chowders, chili and stew to sandwiches and homemade desserts.

“I wouldn’t call it a restaurant. It’s a meeting place, a dining room, or even better yet really, it’s the kitchen,” Turner said, motioning to his longest table that seats anywhere from 16 to 24 in a pinch.

“Everyone comes in and it’s: ‘Sit down, b’y, and have a tea, right?’ It’s like that. That’s how it is here.”

Several regulars do indeed come and go, all of them on a friendly, first-name basis with Turner. They break into smiles and nod their approval at his “No One Dines Alone” Christmas initiative and the small, pale blue piggy bank sitting on his kitchen counter.

Turner plans to serve at least 200 people a full dinner in the company of others on Christmas Day. That includes lonely seniors, people without nearby family or friends, those who are homeless, and families struggling to make ends meet.

Although he only kick-started his plan earlier this week, he’s already had buy-in from at least one other local restaurant and a Girl Guides group is making Christmas cards for patrons attending the dinner.

Several volunteers are willing to give up their own family time on Christmas Day to help serve and clean, while another community business owner is hosting a fundraiser on Nov. 27 to help pay for the turkeys and all the other fixings.

“I don’t think that it’s healthy for someone to sit in their own house or apartment or no place at all and wonder what it’s like to be with somebody or even to miss being with somebody. I think of seniors sitting in a home and that nobody comes to visit them or they’re by themselves,” Turner said.

“I don’t want to see that. Honestly, that is not the game of life. I think everyone should feel love of some sort, even if it’s to speak with someone else, that’s a good thing.”

In what he jokingly calls stereotypical Newfoundlander fashion, Turner is an avid storyteller. He said his desire to provide some companionship for others on Christmas Day comes from a deep-rooted love for the season. That passion was instilled in him as a young child growing up in the small community of Happy Adventure, Nfld.

“Growing up in a small community, we were so poor we didn’t even know it. There were eight of us in the house and when Christmastime came around, even though we got very little, we got so excited,” Turner said. “We were all boys. We’d make toys. We’d make our own fun. We’d find something and play with it all day, all week, all summer.”

Turner then momentarily disappears into a side room, returning with what looks like a smooth, worn, U-shaped stick with black wrappings on either end. He received the gift when he was 6 or 7, and it remains a prized possession he’s willing to share with anyone who’ll listen to his stories.

“This is one of those toys. Use your imagination. What do you think this is? This is a 1963 Harley Davidson. This was a fun toy,” he explained, holding it up like handlebars with a beaming smile as he makes revving noises.

“Everybody was happy in the family … Somebody would knock on the door around Christmastime and they’d go, ‘Hey, we thought you could use this,’ and they’d be bringing a turkey to us. We didn’t know this was a handout as kids ... I discovered that years afterwards, and that kind of was touching on the heart.”

Turner insists repeatedly that he doesn’t want any pats on the back for organizing the Christmas dinner event. He said he’s doing it just because there’s a need and this is one small way he can help.

“If they can come in and sit down and be open to conversation and let the person you’re sitting next to chat with you, get to know them, even if it’s for that one hour,” he said, “then you can at least go away and say, ‘I had a good time.’”

“You can say, ‘It was only dinner, but it wasn’t only dinner.’ That’s the whole idea. It’s not just to have dinner, but to have a conversation and experience some human companionship.”

With both his parents now deceased and his children grown up, Turner said he encouraged his supportive wife and children to enjoy their own Christmas dinner without him this year, noting he’ll be with them “in thought.” He said the idea of creating a temporary extended family for others who may be struggling on Christmas Day is a gift in itself.

“I’m like a counsellor some days. I get people telling me their troubles, I get asked advice. I don’t have the answers, but I’ve got an ear,” he said. “A lot of times, just to be able to have someone hear it out and know that they can come and talk is very important for people, and I want everyone to experience that.”

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Tickets for No One Dines Alone are free and can be found on the Facebook page of Turner’s café. Turner strongly encourages everyone who intends to show up on Christmas Day to get their free tickets in advance, so he can prepare enough food for everyone.

“To hear some laughter, that would be the goal. And also to see people smile. Yes, it’ll be a lot of work; yes, I don’t know what I’m doing; and yes, I’m very willing,” he laughed.

“Even the strangers that come in, I get the stories out of them. I get to learn about their childhoods. It’s amazing. I just want everyone to experience what it’s like to be with others and not lonely on a day like Christmas Day.”

Yvette d’Entremont is a Halifax-based reporter focusing on health and environment. Follow her on Twitter: @ydentremont

Read more about: