Holiday help wanted as Unity restaurant preps free meals for charity drive

When the pandemic first forced the shutdown of restaurants and bars across the state, the community reached out to support Sharky’s Café in Unity. Months later, the restaurant’s management wanted to repay the favor.

Owners Jamie and Johnathan Huemme started the first Sharky’s Holiday Dinner Drive meal giveaway in December 2020 and have continued the event annually since then as a way to help those in need.

“Really, the idea came from the community supporting Sharky’s so ferociously through covid and the shutdown and everything,” Jamie Huemme said. “We were all just trying to find a way to give back to the community that supported Sharky’s through some tough times during the pandemic.”

Since 2020, the month of December at Sharky’s has included a flurry of soliciting donations, gathering team members and working to lead up to a distribution and assembly day Dec. 22, when a volunteer team of more than 50 people puts together 600 meals for families in the area.

Each meal consists of ham, scalloped potatoes, a vegetable, salad, and bread and butter.

“We didn’t realize there was such a need,” volunteer Cindy Love said, adding that this year, Sharky’s is slightly behind schedule in donations.

According to Huemme, the meals are about halfway funded.

“Our goal each year is to get 600 meals. For every three that someone purchases, Sharky’s donates the fourth one. If we don’t get that goal, we will still put out 600 meals no matter what,” Huemme added.

In past years, a good chunk of the funds came from local Latrobe-area residents, but some donations have come from other areas of Westmoreland County, Pittsburgh and even from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“It’s definitely spiderwebbed outside of Latrobe,” Huemme said. “It’s really great to see that level of involvement and movement outside of (the area.)”

The restaurant works with charities and community organizations, including Shop with a Cop, the Salvation Army, local churches and Latrobe area schools to find families that could benefit from a free holiday meal.

“We work with the Rotary Backpack for Kids program, and they work with the guidance counselors and the elementary schools in Latrobe to see what families need a holiday meal,” Huemme said . “They identify the families, and we are putting the meals together for those families.”

On distribution day, the volunteer team creates an “assembly line” in the Pier area of Sharky’s and puts together the meals. Families stop off at the restaurant to pick them up, and for those who can’t make it in person, the team loads a school bus from T and K Childcare to deliver the meals to homes.

“We have it pretty refined, now that it is our third year. Every year, it’s picked up more momentum from the community to try and volunteer,” Huemme said. “Being able to witness the event in motion and seeing the faces on the families and the kids coming in, it’s really just a rewarding event. It’s a really nice way to give back to those who are in need during the holiday season.”