We started our Christmas planning yesterday. Not here at home, but at the Centre where I work. Our two main projects are Santa's Helpers and a Christmas breakfast. Both of them are a big part of this caring and open community and both require a lot of organisation.
Of course the end result of both projects is quite simple. Santa's Helpers enables us to give gifts of toys, books, games and clothes to children in our town who might otherwise go without, and we give a hamper of Christmas food, including ham and a few treats like coupons for haircuts and a box of chocolates, to their parents. Our Christmas breakfast is simply that. A breakfast that we cook for the town residents. Our local politicians come along to help with the cooking and we serve all who come along. We encourage those who are living alone or away from their families, and the homeless to join us, as well as town residents who want to meet and get to know people they otherwise wouldn't meet. Last year we served over 350 people.
And the best part is - everything, every toy, game, book, box of chocolates, bike, all clothes, bags, ham, drink, haircut, bread, salad, fruit, yoghurt, water, softdrink, eggs, croissant, and all the goodies that make up the hampers and the breakfast, is donated by the wonderful people in our town.
Christmas has always been a time of family get-togethers for me. But it can be a time of sadness and stress for a lot of people. We see that in the work we do at the Centre. Some people have too much and seem to drown in their excess and some don't have enough and feel guilty and sad because of it. We help redress those problems by encouraging those who can donate to do so, and we give those donations to people who really need them. The rest is used in a breakfast of celebrations on Christmas morning where everyone comes to sit and eat together. Often Santa calls in to have breakfast with us after he's finished visiting all the children in Australia.
Hanno and I are having a dinner with our sons a week or so before Christmas as they are both working on Christmas day. On Christmas day we will be up early to help set up for the breakfast, to cook, serve and clean up and to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas with the people we'll meet at the breakfast. It will be a very simple Christmas for us. We aren't exchanging gifts but we'll be richer for the experience of it.
What are your Christmas plans?
graphic from all posters.com
Of course the end result of both projects is quite simple. Santa's Helpers enables us to give gifts of toys, books, games and clothes to children in our town who might otherwise go without, and we give a hamper of Christmas food, including ham and a few treats like coupons for haircuts and a box of chocolates, to their parents. Our Christmas breakfast is simply that. A breakfast that we cook for the town residents. Our local politicians come along to help with the cooking and we serve all who come along. We encourage those who are living alone or away from their families, and the homeless to join us, as well as town residents who want to meet and get to know people they otherwise wouldn't meet. Last year we served over 350 people.
And the best part is - everything, every toy, game, book, box of chocolates, bike, all clothes, bags, ham, drink, haircut, bread, salad, fruit, yoghurt, water, softdrink, eggs, croissant, and all the goodies that make up the hampers and the breakfast, is donated by the wonderful people in our town.
Christmas has always been a time of family get-togethers for me. But it can be a time of sadness and stress for a lot of people. We see that in the work we do at the Centre. Some people have too much and seem to drown in their excess and some don't have enough and feel guilty and sad because of it. We help redress those problems by encouraging those who can donate to do so, and we give those donations to people who really need them. The rest is used in a breakfast of celebrations on Christmas morning where everyone comes to sit and eat together. Often Santa calls in to have breakfast with us after he's finished visiting all the children in Australia.
Hanno and I are having a dinner with our sons a week or so before Christmas as they are both working on Christmas day. On Christmas day we will be up early to help set up for the breakfast, to cook, serve and clean up and to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas with the people we'll meet at the breakfast. It will be a very simple Christmas for us. We aren't exchanging gifts but we'll be richer for the experience of it.
What are your Christmas plans?
graphic from all posters.com
