Most of us look forward to Christmas. Time with family and friends, a few presents, and that special lunch - seafood, turkey, ham and Christmas pudding with all the trimmings.
But for some people in our community, Christmas day is not a day to look forward to.
Some cannot afford the cost of putting a Christmas day lunch on the table. Others dread the thought of spending Christmas Day alone.
But a group of volunteers from the Combined Churches of Batemans Bay get together each year to change that. Their goal is to put on a very special Community Christmas Day Lunch for those who would otherwise probably miss out.
Last year the Combined Churches Christmas Day provided a great 3 course lunch with all the trimmings for about 100 people. In 2019 - the Christmas before Covid - the lunch catered for over 120 people. Young and old, singles, families, couples and kids are all invited.
The Combined Churches Christmas Day Lunch is an extraordinary event. A team effort between volunteers, the churches and a number of very generous local businesses who work together in the true spirit of Christmas, and a number of very grateful guests who really enjoy this very special day.
The Batemans Bay area is blessed with some wonderfully generous businesses and community organisations. Some contribute to the Christmas Day Lunch every year, year in, year out. Some donate money, others donate goods, others donate gifts and others gift vouchers. The Christmas Day Lunch could not happen without them.
Then we have the volunteers. A small group work for several months to bring the Christmas Day Lunch together, then a bigger team give up their time on Christmas Day for the big event. The volunteers help pick up guests from their home and drive them to the lunch, greet and book them in, wait on tables with food and drinks, work in the kitchen to put the meals together, and then clean up afterwards.
Most importantly we have the guests – those who come along and enjoy a great 3 course Christmas Lunch. We have a present for all the children, and gifts for all the adults. We want this to be an enjoyable and memorable day for our very special guests.
If you or your family are struggling to afford a Christmas Day Lunch and would like to join us for this special day, we would love to hear from you.
If you are not looking forward to spending Christmas Day Lunch on your own and would much rather have a fully catered, lovely 3 course lunch at one of the special venues on the day, please contact us so that you can join in.
We have two venues for the Christmas Day Lunch – the Salvation Army Hall and the Anglican Church Hall.
Covid guidelines will be in place at both venues to make sure everyone is kept safe.
If you would like to come along, but don’t have transport, we can pick you up from your home, take you to the lunch, then drive you home afterwards
At this stage we have enough volunteers to help on the day, but still have plenty of room for more guests who would like to be part of the Combined Churches Christmas Day Lunch.
Bookings are essential.
Numbers are limited, and bookings need to be finalized by 18 December, so please book in early.
