RALEIGH, N.C. — On Christmas Day, there was plenty of joy, holiday cheer and delicious food to go around at New Bern House, along with some much-needed items like winter coats, gloves and hats. 

The Christmas feast featured turkey, stuffing, pigs feet, potato salad, pinto beans and collard greens. (Spectrum News 1/Rachel Boyd)

With the help of volunteers from the community, Sylvia Wiggins has held a Christmas celebration for the homeless since the late 1970s.

“Everybody deserves a good Christmas,” Wiggins said. “Thanks to friends and people helping out they got the same home atmosphere, they know when they come here it’s a safe place.”

A week ago Wiggins was in a desperate situation, looking for donations from the community for Helping Hand Mission, which runs New Bern House and works to aid the poor and homeless in Raleigh.

Sylvia Wiggins and another volunteer sing Christmas karaoke at New Bern House. (Spectrum News 1/Rachel Boyd)

On Christmas Day she was grateful to see that nothing was lacking — a southern Christmas with all the fixin’s, turkey, collard greens, potato salad, baked yams, nothing short of the best. But when they first started this decades ago, she said the need wasn’t nearly as large. 

“Everybody came doing something to make this thing work, it is just beautiful,” Wiggins said. “I got one lady she cooks homemade cakes, we got another lady she specializes in potato salad and all the best, best, best come together, and it makes a beautiful meal.”

Before Christmas, Helping Hand Mission delivered 130 meals in the community and 17 boxes of winter clothing. Wiggins said making sure everyone has a good holiday is her favorite thing to do.

“I wouldn’t be nowhere. I wouldn’t be at the Taj Mahal. I wouldn’t be in Paris. I wouldn’t be in Caribbean. I want to be right here, celebrating the people that really need help,” Wiggins said.