POST FALLS - It's not just for the hungry.

It's for people like Bill Jasper, who just wanted to help out by doing dishes in the kitchen, and for widowers like Jim Palmer, who wanted to hand out candy canes to as many people as he could because his wife used to love Christmas so.

It's for families like the Stewarts who just didn't want to cook before dinner, and for those like the Berriers, who can't afford to go out as much as they used to.

No doubt, there was no special requirement Sunday, as the free Christmas meals provided by several restaurants and organizations across Post Falls were meant for everyone.

"I'm not afraid to go on the record as saying I'm broke," said Charley Berrier, feasting on a free turkey meal with his family of 10 at G.W. Hunters restaurant in Post Falls. "We just barely got through Christmas through the skin of our teeth. This is a real treat."

Berrier's carpet business has slowed during the recession enough where dining out, once a regular outing, is now a rarity. His family was one of hundreds who stopped by the popular eatery that's in its second year of giving away free holiday dinners.

Dave Swanson, G.W. Hunters owner, and dozens of volunteers had served more than 100 meals an hour into the three-hour event. In light of the economy more people need a little help come Christmas, he said, which is why the event is proving to be such a success.

As he surveyed his packed restaurant, diners stopped by and thanked him.

"I want to thank you and wish you a merry Christmas," one told him.

"God bless you," another said.

"That's the reason right there," Dave said as they left. "There are so many people who just don't have anywhere to go."

But people came for the camaraderie, too.

At the Post Falls Senior Center, 61 volunteers dished out breakfast for around 130 people. There were so many volunteers, director Alison McArthur, had to turn some aspiring good Samaritans away.

"Very heartwarming," she said of the helper turnout, which included live music, at the center's first Christmas breakfast. "They just felt it was something they needed to do."

The center provided the meal when it realized the need after so many people asked at Thanksgiving if there was going to be one at Christmas. After the first year's turnout, it's likely going to be an annual offering, she said.

Jasper was turned away from volunteering at G.W. Hunters and at KC's Breakfast Club in Post Falls. He wanted to help out any way he could, washing dishes or serving food, because his family is grown and he wanted to spend the holiday helping other families. Undeterred, he kept looking for places where he could help out.

"This is Christmas," he said. "Now we just want to try and help out other people."

Palmer, like Jasper, made the rounds between several stops. He was handing out candy canes in memory of his late wife, who loved Christmas.

"I'm just now getting back to doing what I love to do, helping others," he said.

The Athol Community Center hosted its annual Community Christmas Celebration, while KC's Breakfast Club kept its doors open through the afternoon, serving more than 100 meals itself.

Ken Jackson, who owns KC's with his wife Carolyn, started the free meal three years ago as a way to give back. He knows firsthand how hard it can be to make ends meet, he said, which is why being able to provide for others now is so rewarding.

"We were never on the street but we were darn close to it," he said. "I just wanted to give something to people."

And that includes providing a warm, cheerful spot for people during what can be a hurried time of year, like for the Helling family.

"You don't have to cook," said Mallory Helling, eating at KC's with her family while her daughters opened gifts next to a fully dressed-up Santa Claus. "We're usually so hurried during the Holiday running place to place" it's nice to relax.