And so this is Christmas. And what have you done?
John Lennon’s rousing “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” anthem echoes the mood of our mostly fortunate country. It’s a time to reflect on our lives, what we’ve done in the past year and what lies ahead on the yellow brick road of 2016. We certainly live in a lucky country. But the good fortune hasn’t fallen into the paths of millions of people who struggle to make ends meet on a daily basis.
For weak and for strong.
And so it this Christmas, for some. Right now, there are 105,237 people experiencing homelessness every night across Australia. More than 17,000 Australian children under the age of 12 have no home. The rate of homelessness amongst Indigenous Australians is alarmingly high at 14 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians.
At Christmas, there’s increased pressure to buy gifts and special food, and sometimes that pushes people over the edge. We find people are making decisions between buying the children presents and food for themselves.
More than two million Australians live in poverty. The single rate of the NewStart Allowance is only 45 per cent of the minimum wage and more than $130 below the poverty line. (This is now comparatively the lowest payment of its kind in the OECD.) And what about the troubling number of mental health sufferers? All the basic necessities, including housing and food, are unaffordable for 96 per cent of people with a mental illness.
The plight of those affected by domestic and family violence has been highlighted this year thanks to Rosie Batty being named Australian of the Year, but still, for many women and children, this violence is the leading cause of homelessness.
Have I got your attention?
Julie McDonald, General Manager, Vinnies NSW, says, “If you’re in a disadvantaged situation at this time of year, stress can be the tipping point. At Christmas, there’s increased pressure to buy gifts and special food, and sometimes that pushes people over the edge. We find people are making decisions between buying the children presents and food for themselves.”
It’s hard not to be troubled by the disparity between the lives of many fortunate Aussies and the lives of those who face these kinds of challenges. Perhaps you’d like to lend a hand at this time of year? For those with an altruistic nature, the first instinct is to volunteer at Christmas Day charity events – preparing meals, serving the homeless Christmas lunch, delivering presents to women’s refuges – a supremely fulfilling and benevolent way to spend the day. But these rosters fill up quickly and, frankly, many charities are crying out for help beyond the few hours they receive, one day out of 365 a year.
So how else can we help those less fortunate in the lead up to Christmas? Let us count the ways.
In Queensland, food and hospitality professionals have come together to create the Dinner in Brisbane. Good Food Guide’s Queensland editor Natascha Mirosch and caterer Jerome Dalton have established this growing collective, united to organise social events for the disadvantaged.
Hospitality with Heart has teamed up with Logan charity to throw a Christmas Eve party. Natascha says, “A lot of people who are underprivileged, at risk or who rely on services spend a lot of time lining up. I thought it would be humanising for these people to sit and be served by us.”
One-hundred-and-fifty victims of domestic violence, homelessness, mental illness, and children living in foster care will sit at tables lined with white linen, candles and flowers. Professional wait staff and chefs will volunteer their time and a violinist from the Brandenburg Orchestra will entertain the crowd. Natascha has established a to help fund the dinner and surplus funds will go back to YFS and the people it helps in Brisbane’s Logan community.
Victoria’s asylum seeker community benefits hugely from its Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), which feeds 250 people every single day. When it comes to Christmas, Patrick Lawrence, ASRC’s Humanitarian Services Director, says, “It’s a time when we stay very cognisant of good nutrition in our Foodbank program but our donations increase at this time of year, so we’re able to give out more food generally, and sometimes that includes special treats.” The success of the ASRC hangs on its Foodbank program, a grocery store established inside its Footscray centre. Up to 85 per cent of all food donated is from the community. Patrick says, “Some people seeking asylum have no income, so they’re getting their entire week’s worth of groceries from us.”
So how can we ensure people seeking asylum have the best chance to thrive and flourish at this time of year? Get involved in the various opportunities at the ASRC by following its on Facebook, where daily needs and volunteer opportunities are posted. Organise a food drive at your local school or place of work. Get in touch with the Foodbank team at [email protected]
Or shop at the ASRC’s Food Justice Truck, an inspired mobile business that sells fruit, vegies and whole foods from , a social enterprise that buys the whole crop directly from the farmer for a fair price. What makes this food truck so compelling is that it sells its produce to people seeking asylum at a 75 per cent discount – that’s $80 worth of food for $20. Melbournites – make the trip to stock up for your festive feed at the truck’s rotating schedule of .
Food hampers are the lifeblood of many charities’ festive projects. So where and how can you help fill, pack and deliver hampers? The big charity players are running Christmas drives to engage volunteers for hamper packing right now – , and .
An award-winning mobile fresh food shop, Food Justice Truck was launched to help the thousands of people in Victoria facing food insecurity problems. (Tim Turner) Source: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Divinely supplied spiritual nourishment lands in the laps of Perth’s homeless and vulnerable from Manna, one of Western Australia’s leading food charities. Its Christmas hampers are renowned for helping those in need. Hunt down the details . In Queensland, the Wesley Mission’s asks the community to contribute in two ways: give a gift of $35 to cover the cost of one Red Bag full of food; or fill your own Red Bag with festive goodies and drop it at one of the locations around the wider Brisbane area. Donation cut-off dates fall early to mid-December but many charities require volunteers to help pack the hampers right up to Christmas Eve.
Animals, too, need a helping hand. Over the holidays, and after Christmas, is the busiest time of the year for many animal shelters and rescue organisations, as they deal with huge numbers of stray and abandoned dogs and cats. You can volunteer to help out, donate or support special initiatives such as SA Dog Rescue’s .
And so this is Xmas, I hope you have fun.
The near and the dear one.
The old and the young.
Adelaide’s Hutt St Centre works on the frontline of the state’s growing homeless problem, offering assistance to nearly 2,000 people every year. It also provides an aged city living program for older community members, a group of disadvantaged Australians often invisible in the maelstrom of other pressing social concerns. This Christmas, hold your own or give to Hutt St Centre’s to allow Adelaide’s aged community to live their lives with dignity and joy.
At the other end of the age band, it’s children who benefit most from the festive period. When asked how kids can be philanthropic at this time of year, Ruth Tofler-Riesel, co-director at NSW charity , says, “Whenever we ask someone how they got into volunteering, we know the answer. They did it as a child. Our aim is to encourage parents to make volunteering part of their family DNA.”
The goal of Kids Giving Back is to connect the next generation of generosity – to create civic-minded adults. This social enterprise identifies family-friendly volunteering opportunities with its partners and advertises each and every one on its . Ruth holds a strong belief that children should be exposed to as many different cultural influences as possible, so it’s not surprising that she values the charity’s connection to the Asylum Seeker Centre in Sydney’s Newtown.
Children giving a helping hand at a recent Kids Giving Back event. The organisation aims to help create a "generation of generosity", giving children and their families a chance to make a difference and building links between communities. Source: Kids Giving Back
The centre doesn’t hold a Christmas party; instead it celebrates World Human Rights Day on 10 December. Over 250 asylum seekers are expected to attend, and Kids Giving Back's young volunteers and their families help serve food, bring ingredients and just interact with people at the party.
Kids Giving Back also partners with fellow social enterprise outfit, Our Big Kitchen (OBK), in Sydney’s Bondi. Founders Rabbi Dovid Slavin and Laya Slavin established this community-run kitchen in 2005, and it’s grown to provide 60,000 meals last year for the underprivileged, no matter what cultural or religious influence stamps their identity. Rabbi Slavin explains, “The kitchen operates on two levels: one is the distribution of food, delivering it to those who need it; two is the journey of food preparation. When you bring together children who normally wouldn’t meet, Jewish Muslim, Christian children, from different parts of the world, that journey of preparing the food together is in itself the destination.”
OBK is kosher- and halal-certified, and offers people the chance to participate at this time of year in the Volunteer Challah Bake, where the community can learn to make this beautiful braided bread that’s enjoyed on the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays, such as Hanukkah. Visit OBK’s for more details.
Rabbi Dovid Slavin joins a group making challah at Our Big Kitchen. Source: Our Big Kitchen
is Australia’s first perishable food rescue organisation. With eight offices around the country, OzHarvest’s superheroes rescue excess food from commercial outlets and deliver it to more than 800 charities. Among other state-based projects, one of OzHarvest’s national Christmas initiatives is the Tree of Goodness, a partnership with Woolworths to feed families in need during the holiday period. Between 2 and 29 December, Woolies customers can purchase a star emblem at checkout and place it on the Tree of Goodness in most stores. A $2 star allows OzHarvest to deliver four rescued meals to people in need.
If turkey is the star of your Christmas Day menu, Vinnies is encouraging you to “Give a Leg Up”. Text “give a leg up” to 1999 2323 and a $5 donation will be added to your phone bill and be sent directly to Vinnies to help those at risk. Plus, on Christmas Day, take a happy snap of your turkey leg, share it on social media with #GiveALegUp and Vinnies’ partner Steggles will make a further donation to its Christmas appeal. Head to the for more information.
Steve Brown, Manager, Margaret House Respite Services and Como Social & Leisure Centre, both run by Vinnies NSW, experiences all walks of life in his job. His centres reach out to people who have come out of institutions, the disabled, the mentally ill, those who have been through acute care or rehab in hospital and find themselves with no family, no support.
We’d like to invite people who know their way around a kitchen, who are willing to clean up and serve and, importantly, people who are not afraid to talk to our clients, who are not scared to make a fool of themselves – to get up and dance with people they’ve just met.
On December 22, Steve is calling for people to help celebrate the festive season at Haberfield’s Margaret House. Steve says, “We’d like to invite people who know their way around a kitchen, who are willing to clean up and serve and, importantly, people who are not afraid to talk to our clients, who are not scared to make a fool of themselves – to get up and dance with people they’ve just met.” Sounds like the perfect Christmas party, right? Send your interest to .
So what is the biggest challenge facing the vulnerable during the holiday period? Steve Brown believes, “Isolation. Without a doubt. These people don’t have friends or family, or money to join in activities. Many of them are unable to participate because of their disability, or their mental health issue. They’re not looking for handouts. They're looking for a connection and to feel like they’re welcome in the community.”
If connecting with a charity is not your thing, take a leaf out of the Humans of New York initiative, HONY For The Holidays, the annual tradition where people with nowhere to go for Christmas are matched with a family and seated at the extra places at their table. When life gives you a full and happy celebration, make it a party. Post an invitation on social media, reach out to those seeking a connection over the holiday period, and fill your life with the joy of helping others. It’s the greatest gift of all.
A very Merry Xmas, and a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one, without any fear
