Big Pappas Continues Charitable Mission of Serving Turkey Dinners on Christmas

Whatever bright or cloudy feelings the holidays may bring to the people of Oak Lawn, one woman makes sure no one has to feel hungry on Christmas.

“I may not have a lot of money, but I have a kitchen full of food,” said Sandi DiGangi, owner of Big Pappas Gyros. “For somebody to go hungry, that’s devastating to me.”

Sandi has a “no one walks out hungry” policy that has evolved over the past four years into a massive local Christmas dinner tradition. Last year, Big Pappas Gyros gave away more than 2,300 turkey dinners.

• To volunteer, donate to the cause or sign up for a free meal, call Big Pappas Gyros at (708) 741-4014 or visit Big Pappas Christmas Dinner on Giveforward.

Her holiday-feed-a-thon has gotten bigger every year since Sandi started the ritual in 2010 with 750 Christmas dinners. And she hasn’t let anything slow that progress.

When donations were low in 2011 and Sandi and her family worked 80-hour weeks, they served 1,150 meals to the people of Oak Lawn.

In 2012, when Sandi began battling cervical cancer that left a mass on her kidneys, she served 1,800 Christmas meals to the hungry.

Sandi faced personal loss again this year with the death of her mother in September. But there’s no doubt she’ll make sure this year’s Big Pappas Christmas charity dinner feeds every person who requests a meal.

Monetary donations are especially needed.

“Things are running a little short,” she said. “We need turkeys, pies and toys.”

Every night throughout the year, as Sandi closes Big Pappas Gyros at the end of the day, she sets aside money to help pay for the Christmas dinners. Sandi said last year she put up almost $5,000, and donations helped out with the rest.

“I’ve always volunteered and donated my whole life to the needy, and I’m a firm believer in giving,” Sandi said.

Sandi’s lifelong spirit of charity only grew stronger after her 5-year-old son died in 1995 in a Bridgeport house fire. Sandi’s mother was looking after him when the fire broke out. The boy ran back into the house, and firefighters found Sandi’s son laying on top of the dog. He died days later.

When Sandi tried to pay for her son’s funeral, someone had already taken care of the bill. Sandi began donating money to the International Association of Firefighters.

Sandi has three children now who tirelessly carry on their mother’s tradition of service. Tony, 19, Mikey, 16, and Nicolette, 13, get to the restaurant on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. and they don’t go home until late Christmas night.

Daughter Mikey DiGangi, a sophomore at Oak Lawn Community High School, said her favorite part of working at the restaurant on Christmas is seeing the look of shock and wonderment when she fills children’s arms with toys when they aren’t expecting it.

“I’ve learned to appreciate the things that I have,” Mikey said. She was 12 when her mother started the holiday tradition. “I have a home, food on the table and clothes on my back. I’m getting an education and live in a warm house. A lot of people out there don’t have those things.”

Sandi said that’s how she raised her children, “to give, not to receive.” Sandi didn’t teach them the wonders of Santa or presents, but the value of community service. Every year since they were young, they’ve volunteered at homeless shelters and food pantries on Christmas. And now they spend Christmas Day peeling potatoes, cutting pies and performing other tasks to help feed more than 2,000 people.

“They’re very good kids with big hearts and they enjoy giving just as much as I do,” Sandi said.

But it never hurts to have more help, and Sandi said even five minutes of volunteer work goes a long way.

“I look forward to this all year long,” Sandi said. “It’s a room full of strangers that just click. It’s just so wonderful, I can’t even tell you. And the people are so appreciative, and some are crying and they make you cry.”

Sandi remembers a man who came in one year to pick up two meals. He had three young girls with him, and Sandi said, “Sir, there are four of you.” He said they’d share the two meals, and he didn’t want to take advantage of her kindness. She asked him if Santa was coming this year, and the man said Santa might come after he received his tax return.

“That really touched me,” Sandi said. “I filled their arms up, they were just dropping toys and I filled them up with food. As the children walked away with the toys, the father looked back and a tear came down.”

All anyone has to do to get a free dinner is call Big Pappas Gyros and say how many dinners are needed. No one verifies funds or residency, and Sandi doesn’t care where you live. If you’re hungry, she’ll feed you.

And she’ll feed you well. The Christmas dinners usually include turkey, dressing, white potatoes, gravy, salads, vegetables, dinner rolls, a secret-recipe sweet potato casserole, a dessert and a beverage, and all the food is homemade. Dinners can be picked up from the restaurant or delivered, if mobility is an issue.

The day after Christmas, Big Pappas is closed. Sandi and her children rest, recoup and go out for dinner.

“I would highly recommend anybody poke a nose in on Christmas to see how this event is so blessed,” Sandi said. “This place is like Miracle on 108th Street. People we’ve never even seen in the restaurant before roll up their sleeves and go to town working.”

Big Pappas Gyros is located at 10806 S Cicero Ave. Oak Lawn, Illinois. To volunteer, donate to the cause or sign up for a free meal, call Big Pappas Gyros at (708) 741-4014 or visit Big Pappa’s Christmas Dinner on Giveforward.

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