MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – On Christmas morning when most people are spending time with loved ones, Janice Sialiano is helping others.
She hosted a Christmas dinner for the community 30 years ago after Hurricane Hugo hit the area. The first dinner fed 50 people; this year they fed around 8,000.
“I can’t imagine doing anything else. This is what Christmas is all about,” Sialiano said. “They’re just so happy to have someone who cares and gives them some hope, and it’s amazing; just to hear their stories is heartbreaking.”
There are over 500 volunteers who help with the three Christmas Day dinners that take place in Loris, Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach.
Alexandria Savage has been volunteering at the dinner since she was 12-years-old.
“Even as 12-year-old, I’d rather spend my time giving others presents, giving others jackets, food, whatever I can, than opening my own presents,” Savage said. “I’ll get to them eventually. They’ll still be there.”
She got involved after learning they ran out of clothes to distribute one year. She collected donations and gave them to a family.
The feeling she got from helping others has kept her coming back to help year-after-year.
“It was just so great to see the things we didn’t look twice at but it meant everything to them because they had nothing, and it’s just so amazing to see things like that and create memories like that, even if you never see them again. You’ve changed their lives.”
