Holiday helpings-- Bar association offers hundreds a hot holiday meal

By Paul Janczewski Legal News They are homeless, hopeless, or helpless. And through word-of-mouth, or fliers at shelters, churches or the YMCA and YWCA and other social agencies, they know where to go and when to show up. And they come in waves of humanity, from toddlers to the elderly and all ages in-between. Walking with canes, or rolling in on wheelchairs. Shuffling in with hand-me-down coats and gloves, leading a brood of youngsters by the hand. But while most days its difficult for them to find anything to smile about, this day, December 21, is different. Today is the day of the annual Genesee County Bar Association and Bar Foundation community holiday dinner. Twenty times since 1991 those who are down-trodden or down on their luck have looked forward to the dinner. For many, it may be their first warm, full meal in days. For the children, it's their only chance to get a picture taken with Santa Clause. Or for the one and only present they'll get this year. Some people may believe lawyers only smile when they're suing someone. But these people see attorneys, judges, prosecutors and others smile non-stop during the three-hour event. And the smiles are genuine. "You can ask anybody here, and they'll tell you that doing this will make your heart grow in your chest," said Brian Barkey, an attorney who concentrates on social security disability cases, represents the Genesee County Parks Commission and does mediation work. But to many, it seems like Barkey became an attorney just so he could coordinate the holiday dinner. "Everybody is attracted to this profession for different reasons, but we all want to help people," Barkey said. "And this lets us do it." Volunteer to help for just one of these dinners and Barkey said you'll be hooked for life. "You see lawyers bringing their children, spouse, to help out, just to show them how good it feels." The history of the annual GCBA/GCBF holiday dinner is well-documented in the Genesee County legal community. In 1992, while Barkey was the vice-president of the GCBA, Duncan M. Beagle, a circuit court judge serving in the Family Division, told him of a holiday dinner put on by the bar in Saginaw. So Barkey went up to see how it operated. "I came back and said, 'We've gotta do this in Flint.'" So in three short months, Barkey organized the first dinner. It was so uplifting and rewarding, a second dinner was held that same year. Barkey raised all the funds to cover expenses, recruited volunteers, handled the public relations efforts, chose the location and negotiated the costs. Several hundred people showed up for those first few dinners, but each year it grew to include more people needing help. And each year, Barkey added more volunteers, collected more money, and expanded the scope of the event. In 2009, they served 1,100 people, passed out more Christmas gifts to children, and more kids had the rare opportunity to have their pictures taken with Santa. What struck Barkey was the warm, fuzzy feeling he and others received from helping out the needy. It was addictive, and from the first dinner in 1992 to the most recent this month, those feelings only get better with age. He said he and others were so energized by that first dinner, they didn't want to leave. Over the years, the dinner has seen a huge increase in volunteers and cash donations by attorneys and others. But one thing remained true from the first to the last, and that was Barkey's involvement. He is jokingly referred to as the "Holiday Dinner Chairman for Life." In years past, people waited outside as the line snaked forward and into the Temple. Now, they are ushered to a downstairs dining room to wait in warmth and brought up as tables open. And if you can't get to the dinner, arrangements are made for transportation. Barkey is a hard guy to pin down at this event, scurrying around to make sure the mashed potato and ham servers have enough food, that no one will have to wait long to get served, that everyone gets dessert and drink, that servers are ready to help the youngsters or the disabled get their trays of steaming hot food safely to their table. Chris Christenson, president of the GCBA, said the annual holiday dinner changes the perception many people have of attorneys as takers, not givers. "We get a lot of negative publicity, but this shows that we do well for the community," he said. The room bustles and moves as 200 volunteers, including a pack of Boy Scouts, usher in more than 1,000 men, women and children as a vocal choir belts out all the favorite holiday songs. "It's amazing that we are going to serve over 1,200 people in a little over three hours," Christenson said. "Everybody in the legal community pitches in to help for the day. It is unbelievable." Other bar association across the state also put on holiday dinners. "But not on this scale," Christenson said. In fact, officials from other bar's have come to Flint to take lessons on how to do it, he said. Christenson said Barkey and his staff of volunteers have grown more efficient and organized with each passing year. In the early years, they ran out of food and enlisted the Battiste family, which operates the Masonic Temple in downtown Flint where the event is held, to help cook more on the spot. The increase of those who attend can be attributed to the poor economy in Flint. "Genesee County has been hit hard for years," Christenson said. "It seems like every time something happens in the country, it hits us first, and longer and harder." And Barkey, the linchpin of it all, works year-round, brainstorming ideas and pushing attorneys for cash donations to make the whole thing come off without a hitch. "There's not a lot that hasn't been said about Brian," Christenson said. "He epitomizes what it means to be a professional. He's such a good guy, we call him St. Brian." Barkey won the State Bar of Michigan's Unsung Hero award for his efforts. Tina Burroughs, executive director of the GCBA, said it's important for attorneys to give back to a community that has given a lot to them, not only at Christmas, but year round. "Everybody is struggling and has a need, but you give back to others," she said. "For me, I know it's one day that a child won't go hungry." For others, like retired Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Robert M. Ransom, volunteering for the few hours "is what Christmas is all about." He and many volunteers wear red aprons with "Captain" emblazoned across the front, or Santa hats. "At the end of the day today, we walk out and feel like we've got the spirit of Christmas," Ransom said. "The need in our community keeps growing." He's also been a part of it since the first year. "It's become an annual event for the folks who need it. It's all about making life meaningful and giving back to the community and to people who are not as blessed as I am." James Everett, also known as Sarge, is not an attorney, but an advocate for the homeless, operating Sarge & Company out of his home. He mingles and knows many of the area's homeless by name. He said his goal is to raise awareness to the plight of the homeless and help them get the services they need. His goal is to one day open a center to help the homeless get jobs and work. "This is one of the biggest events of the year, and a lot of people wouldn't have Christmas otherwise," he said. Everett said there are about 4,000 homeless in Genesee County, because of loss of jobs and foreclosures and other ills of society, and said he needs help in his quest. Anyone wanting to aid him can contact him at Sarge & Co., 3313 Chicago Blvd., Flint, 48503. For many of the people who come to the dinner for food, comfort, and a gift for their children, it can be heart-wrenching. One volunteer told Barkey she cried while helping in the Santa line when a parent told the child not to open the gift until Christmas. "She knew that would be the only gift that child would receive," Barkey said. Pam C., of Flint, was there with her three new foster children. This was her first time attending the dinner, and said she needed the help because she had just gotten the foster children days earlier. "This helps me until we get things in order," she said. "This is such a blessing, and I'm very grateful." Annette F. of Flint was also here for the first time with her daughter. "There's a lot of hurt in this community, so this is great," she said. Officials have estimated that more than 10,000 people have been feed over the years, and more than 5,000 presents handed out. It's been estimated that Barkey's efforts with the holiday dinner have fed more than 10,000 people and provided presents to more than 5,000 kids since its inception. Volunteers number in the hundreds, and include a group of legal secretaries, Boy Scouts, judges and others who purchase and wrap presents and serve the dinners. They believe Barkey has raised more than $75,000 over the years for the event. Barkey credits the generosity of the bar members for much of the success they've seen at the holiday dinner. "We've never run short of money," he said. "People who already gave me a check will call and ask if we need more. What fund raiser gets that kind of money and support?" For information on the event, or to donate to the 2011 holiday dinner, contact the Genesee County Bar Association at (810) 232-6012. Published: Wed, Dec 29, 2010

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