MILWAUKEE — In a normal year, volunteers with the Salvation Army in Milwaukee spend the week before Christmas cooking food to feed nearly 8,000 Milwaukeeans on Christmas Day. 

“This year, we ordered enough food for 4,000,” said chef Bernhard Trivalos.“This year, we ordered enough food for 4,000,” said chef Bernhard Trivalos.

The Salvation Army is cooking less food this year because dinner will be packaged up and only served to-go because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“When we have sit-down, it’s easy to gauge that number based on how many seats that we have, and how often we can turn over the dining room per that timeframe,” said Sheree Dallas Branch, assistant director of development for the Salvation Army.

“To be honest, I don’t like wasting food,” Trivalos added. 

Although volunteers are cooking food for fewer people, food for 4,000 people is a lot of food. 

“We have smoked ham, we have roasted turkey, we have a really good cornbread stuffing that I got from the chef last year, Robert. We also have yams, green beans, turkey and gravy of course, and a nice ham glaze with pineapple and brown sugar,” Trivalos said of the menu. 

The food will be packaged up and available to pick up either to-go or curbside from the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

It’ll be served first-come, first-serve, and is only available while supplies last. 

Despite the changes, organizers are thankful the Christmas Family Feast can still happen. 

“This has been a nasty, nasty year,” Trivalos said. "My father passed away on Nov. 16 because of COVID. I just think that everyone here wants to share the love and help. It’s a great community togetherness so to speak. I just think that it’s a wonderful, beautiful thing."