Bandera Family and Community Alliance volunteers will be serving free Christmas dinners from noon to 2 p.m. on Christmas Day at the American Legions in Norwich, Sidney, and Oxford. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY — The Bandera Family and Community Alliance will be returning to Chenango County to serve free meals on Christmas Day in Norwich, Sidney, and Oxford.

Individuals are welcome to stop by the American Legions in Norwich, Sidney, and Oxford between noon and 2 p.m. for a free eat-in or take-out meal of ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams, corn, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, cookies, and assorted desserts. Hot and cold drinks will also be available.

Deliveries are also available by calling 211 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays now through December 23.

This year marks the seventh year the Bandera Family and Community Alliance has served Christmas dinner in Norwich, and their second year in Sidney and Oxford. Bandera Family Representative Bill Bandera said last year they were able to serve approximately 1,300 meals in Norwich, 220 in Oxford, and 300 in Sidney.

"You don’t want to have 1,000 people who need a meal, but if the need is out there, that’s why we exist," said Bandera. "It’s not that the need is growing, I don’t think. It’s the awareness that we’re trying to help alleviate that need, and it gets out, and then people start taking advantage of it as we’d like them to."