Charity dinners bringing Christmas cheer to the community

CHRISTMAS is a time to celebrate with family and friends, but for some it can also be a lonely, difficult time of year, with added financial and emotional stress.

Local organisations across the region are hosting community dinners, Christmas lunches and providing emergency food relief for those in need.

Head of fundraising and communications at The Give Where You Live Foundation Kristi Clapinski said for this reason, over this holiday season food relief initiatives are especially important.

“While Christmas is traditionally a time of joy for many of us, unfortunately for vulnerable individuals, children and families in our community who are facing homelessness, food insecurity, loneliness and isolation, it can be one of the most difficult times of the year,” Clapinski said. “For families who are facing hardship or living on low incomes and struggling to afford their basic needs, the Christmas period can add significant stress to existing financial pressures.”

Christmas Lunches for the Community

Local organisations across the region are hosting community dinners, Christmas lunches and providing emergency food relief for those in need.

Geelong Community Christmas Lunch

After two years of takeaway only, the annual Geelong Community Christmas Lunch is back, to be hosted on Christmas Day from 11.30am at the corner of Moorabool Street and McKillop Street, Geelong.This year the dinner will adopt a hybrid model, where guests can either choose to sit down and enjoy a meal with the community or take the meal away. Anyone interested in volunteering to help on the day can email [email protected].

Christ Church Community Meals Program

A Christmas Day Lunch from 12 noon to 1.30pm will be hosted at Christ Church Parish Hall, corner Moorabool and Little Myers streets, Geelong.

Anyone can pre-book for Christmas Day Lunch by visiting the Parish Hall during regular mealtimes.

Whether you are looking for company, struggling financially, everyone is welcome regardless of their circumstances.

Over the Christmas and New Years period the Christ Church Community Meals Program will also still be up and running, providing free breakfast seven days a week, and evening meals on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Salvation Army Christmas Cheer

Every year across Australia local Salvos host free Christmas lunches.

This year Geelong Salvation Army is hosting a Christmas lunch for singles looking for company on Christmas day.The event will take place at the Salvation Army Northside Community Centre, 92 Cox Road, Corio, on Christmas Day.

For more information or to register interest, phone 5275 7771.

Each year the Christmas lunch brings Christmas cheer, decorations, music, a delicious meal, and great conversation to the community.While this year Torquay and Bellarine will not be hosting a lunch, Salvation Army Officer for the Bellarine Peninsular Peter Hobbs said on Christmas Eve there will be a Christmas Dinner meal delivery for those in need. “I think it’s a special time of year for so many people but there are so many who are vulnerable it is a time of loneliness, isolation, grief and loss, so to provide a safe space for people on Christmas day to be around others and to gain connection and the value that comes with that is really important,” Hobbs said.

Hobbs said from December 19 to 23 there will also be a Christmas cheer toy distribution on Malop and Swanston Street, where the Salvos in Geelong distributes gifts to thousands of people in the lead up to Christmas week from the Kmart wishing tree. Hobbs said those in need can register through our Salvos Connect in Geelong. The Salvation Army also organises community giving programs, meaning anyone wanting to give to those in need this Christmas can pre-purchase a Christmas hamper, gift, stocking, meal or more by heading to salvationarmy.org.au to find out more.

Norlane Community Initiatives

Norlane Community Initiatives is hosting a Christmas Dinner on Monday, December 19, to register interest or find our more, phone The Aviary Cafe on 0411 580 544.

OneCare Geelong

A Community meal hosted by OneCare Geelong will take place on Thursday, December 22. Anyone can register attendance by filling out the sign up sheet at OneCare Geelong or contacting OneCare via email [email protected] or phoning 5229 2133.

Throughout the year OneCare Geelong’s Community Foodbank also provides meals and food for those experiencing food insecurity, hosting weekly each Around the Table (EAT) dinners from 4.45-6pm on Tuesday, as well as Thursday lunches at noon, hosted at 61 Candover, St Geelong West. While OneCare Geelong’s will be taking a Christmas break, with the last Foodbank for 2022 to be hosted on Tuesday the 20th of December, the dinners will kick off again from January 10, 2023 at 10am.

Bellarine Living and Learning Centre

A Christmas Lunch at Bellarine Living and Learning Centre will take place on December 21, anyone interested should phone 5248 1926 to register.

The OutPost

The OutPost, located on the corner of Clare Street and Transit Place, Geelong will be open during the Christmas and New Year period, open seven nights each week from 7.30-9.30pm, and open Wednesday and Fridays between 10.30am-1.30pm.

Feed Me Bellarine, Surf Coast and Geelong

Each week, Feed Me Bellarine, Surf Coast and Geelong provide food and a Friday night dinner for the local community, while the dinners and cafe stop over the Christmas period, with the last Bellarine Café tomorrow on Saturday December 17, Feed Me provides food relief every day of the year. Food relief is available by contacting 0422 798 791 or [email protected] or filling out the online from at feedme.org.au/forms

To access food relief in other areas head to feedme.org.au and contact your local Feed me directly.

Those looking to make a difference in their community this Christmas can support the Give Where You Live Foundation’s 2022 Christmas Appeal which aims to raise funds to help make the new year a little brighter for someone in need in our community, making a donation via givewhereyoulive.com.au. With so much community cheer to go around, there is no need to go hungry or lonely this Christtmas. To find out more about where you can eat this holiday season, including a list of regular food services, The Give Where You Live Foundation’s Where You Can Eat resource was created to collate information about all of the food relief agencies across our region and provide people with up-to-date information on when, where, how, and what food relief they can get access to.

To find out more, head to feedgeelong.com.au