For a Christmas-time story, The Toronto Star pro­filed Elaine Ren­nie and her 30 years of vol­un­teer work. Ren­nie spends her Christ­mas vol­un­teer­ing at the Scott Mis­sion kitchen serv­ing food to the home­less for their annual hol­i­day meal.

Toronto Star writer Debra Black talked to Ren­nie about her work.

“I get a lot out of it,” she said. “For years I’ve vol­un­teered in God’s work.” That work has included vol­un­teer­ing at her church and the Cana­dian Bible Soci­ety as well.

But she goes to the Scott Mis­sion every Christ­mas, just to be part of some­thing bigger.

“I get more back in per­sonal sat­is­fac­tion and spir­i­tual being than I actu­ally give,” said the senior, who lives in Rich­mond Hill.

The first year Ren­nie vol­un­teered with the Scott Mis­sion at Christ­mas, she baked a dozen cook­ies for the home­less. She and her hus­band gave them out.

“I just decided it was some­thing I wanted to do,” she said.

Her hus­band died a year and a half ago, she said, but she still feels the pull at Christ­mas­time to vol­un­teer at the mission.

Approx­i­mately 350 home­less men and women were treated Fri­day to a din­ner of tomato soup, salad, smoked turkey, stuff­ing, gravy, cran­berry sauce, roasted pota­toes, mixed veg­eta­bles and a fruit flan.

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