Christmas cheer and a kickoff to a warmer holiday was made possible for 559 seniors in the Riverview area last week, thanks to the annual Senior Dinner, held at the Showmen’s Club in Gibsonton. The dinner provided fellowship for seniors, some of whom would have otherwise spent the holidays alone.
The heart and soul of the dinner from its inception is HCSO Riverview Community Resource Officer Barbara Keplinger.
“I give my thanks to the Sheriff’s Office employees, Target, Mosaic, the Riverview and East Bay High culinary programs, Bookworm, the Showmen’s Association … there are so many to thank that I could spend the next 12 months naming them,” Keplinger said. “It is very rewarding. Friday when I got to work, I listened to several phones messages expressing thanks for the event. Several expressed how it is the only event they attend each year. This kind of event comes directly from the heart for those involved. The private stories of how much this means to them are both heartwarming and heartbreaking.”
From everyone else, special thanks go out to Barbara Keplinger. Her dedication has made Christmas brighter for so many.
Planning for next year begins now.