DUBLIN, Ga. — While folks around the world exchange gifts with loved ones on Christmas morning, a group of volunteers in Central Georgia had another idea.
Hosted by Shuga Nickels, about a dozen volunteers in Dublin spent the misty morning making meals for folks in need of a plate or just wanted some company.
"We pursued a dream and it's been wonderful!" Dana Brantley said.
The Brantleys say their love of cooking made them want to pursue their "passion project," co-owned by Dana and her husband, Richard.
"We figured, it's just us," Dana said. "Why not do something nice on Christmas day?"
They have three sons and a daughter together who are all grown-ups living in Dublin with families of their own.
"My youngest son is actually one of my chefs here," Dana said. "Two of them own Biscuit Bros, so you can tell it runs in the family there!"
Shuga Nickels serves a variety of food from around the world.
"We're a little eclectic actually!" Dana said. "We have Thai food, we have Filipino, we sell Cuban and we sell American."
Dana said her mother is from Thailand and her dad is American, so that's where some of the inspiration for their cuisine came.
"It's been a passion of ours for a couple of years and we finally made it happen in February of this past year," Dana said.
Shuga Nickels was born after Richard retired as a captain from the Dublin Police Department in February of 2022, according to Dana.
That was the same month they opened for business, and it took about two years for them to get to that point, she said.
The Brantleys said their main goal was always to give back to the community they serve.
Now, with the resources available to them, they can. And they have help from folks who had the same idea, like Candi Barfield and her daughters, Morgan and Ollie.
"We've commercialized Christmas so much that I wanted them to have an opportunity to see what we really should be focused on," Barfield said.
The Barfields usually spend Christmas like most families, opening gifts and spending the day together.
Today, they decided they also wanted to help serve their community.
"It's important because you never know when you may end up in a situation where you're hopeful that the younger generation can help take care of you," Barfield said. "I look at my kids as being part of the future. If we're going to change things, it has to start with that generation."
It's the first time Shuga Nickels hosted a food giveaway like this, and they hope this plants a seed and fosters community growth in the future.
"I'm really hoping that this makes a difference for the community, that more people follow suit and give, and give back to the community," Dana said. "Right now, we need that more than ever."
Shuga Nickles is located at 402 Industrial Boulevard in Dublin.