CATHOLIC CHARITIES P.O. Box 829, Beaumont, Texas 77704 2780 Eastex Freeway, OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS Beaumont, Texas 77703 Phone 409-924-4410, Fax 409-832-0145 www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org Press Release Contact: Daniel Maher FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE E-mail : [email protected] December 17, 2009 Phone: (409)924-4427

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Meal at Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas’ Hospitality Center in Port Arthur

Interested media are invited to capture video footage or photographic images and speak with staff, volunteers and, with staff permission only, those being fed at Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas’ Hospitality Center in Port Arthur on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Hospitality Center is located at 3959 Gulfway Drive, Port Arthur 77642. It will serve its meals on December 24th and 25th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Hospitality Center provides a hot meal to the hungry from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. all 365 days of the year. Approximately 40,000 meals have been served by the Center this year, all to low income members of the community. The Hospitality Center has only one full-time employee, its Director, Christina Vara Green. She is assisted by a team of more than 100 volunteers who rotate in to assist with the Center’s operations as drivers to pick up supplies, cooks, in-take aides and serving/cleanup crews.

Media anticipating a visit to the Hospitality Center on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day are asked to alert Dan Maher, Director of Development & Communications (contact information is below), prior to going to the Center to permit some pre-planning and coordination. If media must contact the Center for directions or other matters, they are asked to contact Ms. Christina Vara Green at (409) 982-4842.

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For further information about the agency, please visit Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas’ website www.catholiccharitiesbmt.org or contact:

Daniel Maher, Director of Development & Communications (409) 924-4427 (office), (703) 869-5945 (cell) or [email protected].