Christmas is for some one of the most isolating times of the year, especially in a cost-of-living crisis where families may have to choose between buying gifts and treats for loved ones or buying necessities.
Communities including the Order of Malta, St Michael’s parish in Lane Cove, and Mary MacKillop Place are preparing outreaches to make sure no one is forgotten this Christmas.
Weekly dinners, organised by the Order of Malta and hosted by St Patrick’s parish priest and Order chaplain Fr Anthony Robbie, see a peak in attendance across the Christmas and New Year period.
They expect 25 to 30 people, mostly from the eastern suburbs who are suffering from isolation or are otherwise marginalised to sit down with parishioners and other volunteers to a meal with all the trimmings.
“We aim to provide a hearty home-cooked meal of the standard that we would serve to valued visitors in our own homes,” said Fr Robbie.
“For many of our guests, it’s the only nutritious quality meal they’ll have all week—and the social interaction is just as important.”
Order of Malta member and volunteer Daniel Kwok said Christmas “can be very lonely and isolating,” even though it is meant to be the most joyful time of the year.
“The Order’s Community Care Kitchen offers warmth, dignity, and connection to those who need it most,” he said.
“Our mission is simple but vital: to ensure no one in our community feels forgotten at Christmas.”
The Aboriginal Catholic Ministry (ACM) will expand its food pantry which this year will be highlighted at Mary MacKillop Place’s inaugural Christmas lights event.
According to Lisa Buxton, executive officer of ACM, Mary MacKillop Place’s support will help ACM continue to provide the local community with essentials and place a spotlight on families who are struggling this Christmas.
“Our community food pantry is one such work where the ACM can provide cultural, spiritual, social and practical support,” she said.
“During Advent, our food pantry enables us to create at least 70 Christmas hampers, to share some of the joy of the Christmas season and to ease some of the stresses that many in our communities are facing during this season.”
Food isn’t the only thing being shared as St Michael’s gears up to host its annual Christmas giving tree initiative, which sees parishioners gift (and gift wrap) approximately 200 presents to give to children and those who need them most.
The largest collections of presents go to the Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation in Emerton and children in Bankstown by St Vincent de Paul.
“The Giving Tree is like a thermometer that takes the temperature of the parish,” parish priest Fr Mark Anderson said.
“It shows how thoughtful and generous our parishioners are, how important Christmas is to them, and the great desire they have to help others feel loved at this time of year.”
St Michael’s also hosts community visits to social housing recipients in the North Shore, providing much needed company and nutritious food.
The parish said it will continue to make these visits over the festive season, when loneliness is at its peak.
Also gifting presents this Christmas is Stella Maris, a Catholic ministry to seafarers, which provides gift bags to give to seafarers to boost the offshore workers’ mental health and remind them their work, which forces them away from their families for months at a time, is valued.