Every year the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission celebrates Christmas in July. Â It's a way to celebrate the spirit of the season in 90-degree weather.
"We like to show the spirit of Christmas throughout the year and that Jesus is around all the time," said Paul Parent, Food Operations Manager at the Gospel Mission. Â "We can have Him in our hearts all year long."
It's something they've been doing for more than a decade.
"On Thanksgiving and Christmas you have a bunch of groups getting together and feeding the homeless, but on the 25th of July the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission is the only show in town," said Chaplain Tim Mikes.
More than a thousand people come down to the shelter for a traditional home-cooked meal.
"We cook over 100 turkeys and we're at 700 pounds of mashed potatoes right now, as well 15 gallons of gravy, vegetables, even fresh made whipped cream," Parent said. Â "It's cool because I get to teach the guys in the kitchen a new trade, something they've never done before."
Kids of all ages get a visit with Santa, complete with presents and some basic necessities like hygiene kits.
"There's a lot of families out there in the family shelter and a lot of children," Miles said. Â "It's heartbreaking to see, but to get them to come in here and see Santa and Mrs. Claus, to get a present, it melts your heart."
The gifts come from a caring community. Â And this is just an extension of what they do at the shelter every day.
"It's been an awesome thing for me for the last 11 years," Parent said. "I came here from my addiction and learned how to live differently through Jesus and through this place and through having an attitude of gratitude and just being able to help other people learn the same things I learned.  And that's what we do here 365 days a year."
