Kew Uniting Church hosts Christmas lunch for vulnerable locals
Lunch guest Sean Morrow is looking forward to singing Christmas carols and eating delicious food at a place he says helps people feel human again.
Sean Morrow said the atmosphere at the lunch allowed everyone to feel human again.Credit: EddieJim
“For those of us who haven’t experienced the best of life, it’s wonderful to be welcomed with open arms and included as integral members of society, it’s such a warm and inclusive feeling,” she says.
“It’s never easy to survive on your own, living almost hand to mouth.”
This Christmas dinner makes up a tiny fraction of the 20,000 meals the charity provides a year, with more than 700 people coming forward to help this year.
Volunteers also prepared more than 600 Christmas hampers for local people struggling with the rising cost of living, admitted to psychiatric wards, living in hostels or facing all forms of social isolation.
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Dixon-Monu said the charity receives no state or federal financial aid. Instead, it is funded by the church, with support from Boroondara local council and generous charitable donations.
As she runs between the kitchen and the front door to greet guests, she is frequently stopped by dozens of people who thank her and ask how they can help the day go even more smoothly.
He knows many people don’t often associate Boroondara, which includes affluent suburbs such as Hawthorn, Balwyn and Kew, with disadvantage, but says there are some sections where people find it difficult.
“You pay more for things like services, amenities and food,” says Dixon-Monu.
Priest Natalie Dixon-Monu (right) and volunteers serve Christmas dinner.Credit: EddieJim
“It’s more expensive to eat here, so you’re at a double disadvantage because it’s more expensive to live here.”
He’s been helping organize this luncheon for more than 20 years, and says that although his kids always get plenty of gifts, he can’t have another Christmas filled with stress or spending a lot of money.
“God is with us on Christmas Day, often with people who have very, very little, but the irony is that they have so much because they understand the importance of community,” he says.
“So these guys will give you their last cigarette, they’ll take their sweater off their back, they’ll give you their last piece of money in their pocket, because they know what it’s like to have nothing.”
YaYa Abdul was among the volunteers.Credit: EddieJim
YaYa Abdul volunteered her time on Thursday, but she also works for the Richmond Churches Food Center and the local Uniting Church.
She, too, has noticed more people from all walks of life asking for help putting food on the table lately, and wishes there were places with the same sentiment as Boroondara Community Aid.
He started volunteering while he was between jobs, but it quickly became a big part of his life.
“Nat is family to me,” says Abdul. “I want to be with my family for Christmas.”
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