Seniors, veterans and people in need came together on Saturday for the fourth annual Christmas dinner at the Onset VFW, enjoying traditional holiday foods and donations of warm clothes.

In its first year, the event was only open to the homeless, said Deneen Rose, an organizer, but it has since opened up to more people in the community. Gateway Tavern, Dunkin Donuts, Bridgewater State University, Stop and Shop, Shaw's and Wareham District Court all donated food and paper products to round out the feast. People brought donations of winter clothes, which were free for the taking.

"This is what makes Christmas for me, is giving back to those in need," Rose said.

Santa Claus even visited the kids, played by Selectman Patrick Tropeano.

Maddie Biron, who lives in Buzzards Bay, has been to the dinner for the last several years.

"People treat you like kings and queens here," Biron said. "They treat you like real people, I feel so comfortable here." Biron brought her friend, Marilyn Allen, who lives in West Wareham. Allen said she had to come check out the dinner after hearing Biron rave about it.

Albert Fernandes came to dinner from Boston to enjoy a meal and help with clean-up afterward. Fernandes said when he was homeless, he benefited from free meals around the holidays, so now he volunteers as much as he can to give back.

The dinner provides senior citizens an opportunity to get together before the holidays, said Muriel Slayney, treasurer of Advocates for Wareham Seniors. The group had a table at the dinner with information on the services it provides.

"There are more than 7,000 [senior citizens] in Wareham," Slayney said. "That's one-third of the population."

Slayney said Wareham is the only town in Massachusetts that doesn't receive funding for its Council on Aging from the town.

"I want respect," Slayney said. She said a dinner for senior citizens is one way to help them out and show support.

"Seniors can be a force to be reckoned with if we can get them all together," said Sharon Frank, president of Advocates for Wareham Seniors.