Around six o’clock on Sunday a young man with an English accent wandered into the kitchen of the Jasper Activity Centre, two dirty (but empty) plates in hand, and a big grin smothered across his face.

The racket of a packed hall meant he had to yell to get the attention of the six or so people in the kitchen.

“I just really wanted to say thank you,” he said.

One of the volunteers, dressed in a dirty apron – an homage to the work which had been done – took the plates from his hand and carried on cleaning the dishes.

All it took was a couple of enchiladas, made and prepared by various volunteers, to put a smile on that persons face – and that’s the whole idea according to organizer Patrick Mooney.

Some may tell you, the dinners aren’t designed to feed just the financially needy.

However, when the dinners started back in the winter of 2002 the philosophy behind the dinners was to help those in need.

“There was no snow, and all the Marmot staff were in town... We knew they weren’t working so we got together... and Kathleen (Waxer) came up with the idea,” explained Mooney.

About 150 people turned up to the first community dinner, which was also used as an information night for the young adults in Jasper.

“It wasn’t only for Marmot staff, we were thinking of all the young people in town – if the ski hill isn’t open then MPL (Mountain Park Lodges) isn’t busy either, so housekeepers are out of work,” he added.

Such a success, the event was repeated again, and while the purpose was to feed hungry people and help them make ends meet in the worst kind of winter in Jasper (one with no snow), something else began to happen.

Young adults met teenagers, seniors met babies, business owners met snowboarders, and people began to interact with their own community on a different level than before.

“The reason for the dinner was being transcended into much more than an economic need and there was some very positive social interactions that were happening that wouldn’t normally happen.”

For Mooney and the municipality, who funds each dinner, that’s where the value is – the interactions between generations, families and everyone who attends.

So even if you’re a high roller, you’re welcome at this community dinner.

“Just because they could afford it didn’t mean there wouldn’t be value in the dinner,” he said. “It started fulfilling social needs as well and that’s why we sort of continued with it.”

Currently, businesses “sponsor” the events which means they supply the people power which involves turning up and making dinner for everybody else.

Now in its eighth year, Mooney estimates they’ve served over 20 thousand plates of supper and average about 3,000 a year.