Home Sweet Home Ministries expects to serve more than 100 meals at its Billy Shelper Center on Christmas. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Home Sweet Home Ministries)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A local homeless shelter is opening its doors for a Christmas meal this year before those who don't have anywhere else to go during the holidays.

Home Sweet Home Ministries does a lot of asking ahead of Thanksgiving – for food and cash donations to feed the hundreds who get hot meals at the Billy Shelper Center or delivered to their home, but the shelter's Matt Drat says the Christmas holiday is all about giving.

"We really want to focus in on that individual relationship we have and building that relationship with people who come joins us here at the Shelper Center and the connection the volunteers make, specifically with the meal deliveries," Drat said.

Drat says the ministries theme this season is Home for the Holidays – to remember those who home during winter is their car.

"The face of homelessness in the Bloomington-Normal area is not what people expect," Drat said.

Drat said after putting out public pleas for Thanksgiving meals, the pantry had enough donated food for Christmas. The number to call is (309) 828-7356. Meal requests must be in by Dec. 18.

"We don't want anyone to be alone on Christmas Day," Drat said.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].