Twenty kilograms of prawns, 75kg of ham, turkey and corned beef, and a thousand mince pies is not your average Christmas lunch menu.
But for the team of 90 Parramatta Mission volunteers, it’s all in a day's work as they host 500 in need Sydneysiders for Christmas lunch for the first time since 1990.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian popped in to serve food to people in need on Christmas Eve. Source: Supplied
According to data from the 2016 Census, more than 116,000 people were experiencing homelessness in Australia, with 8,200 of these people estimated to be sleeping rough in improvised dwellings, tents or outside - roughly a 20 per cent increase from 2011.
So many people are expected to attend the lunch this year, that it has been split into two sittings.
But not everyone who comes along is there because they are hungry.
Locals enjoy the Christmas spread. Source: Supplied
Parramatta Mission Chief Executive Officer Keith Hamilton said that a lot of people who come for the lunch .
“We are in a loneliness epidemic,” he said.
“Every Christmas is a critical time. It is noteworthy that more people make phone calls to Lifeline on Christmas day ... than any other day of the year.”
The Christmas Day lunch will feed roughly four times the number of people who come to Parramatta Mission’s Monday to Friday meal service, Meals Plus.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Parramatta Mission volunteers on Christmas Eve. Source: Supplied
But because of the huge increase in numbers, Mr Hamilton said the Christmas lunch is a great opportunity for people from all walks of life to have a chat. Families with kids, couch-surfers, refugees and rough sleepers are all welcomed in.
“Having a meal together is one of the most humanising things that people can do,” he said.
“A whole range of people sitting down together from different backgrounds just exemplifies our whole understanding of loving thy neighbour.”
Aside from his role as CEO, Mr Hamilton was also tasked with a very important job: leading the carol singalong.
The queue for the Christmas lunch. Source: Supplied
“We want to make sure no one comes here and ends up being lonely - that would be a tragedy,” he said.
On Christmas Eve, as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian popped in to help with the Meals Plus Service, volunteers were already busy preparing for Christmas day behind the scenes. As anyone who has been stuck peeling prawns on Christmas day would know, preparing 20 kilograms of them is no small task.
Glen Kovacs was one volunteer who spent his Christmas Eve preparing the food and his Christmas morning serving guests.
Attendees at Parramatta Mission's Christmas lunch. Source: Supplied
“I have a small family and we do something quiet at Christmas, so it’s a good opportunity to get out and give something back to someone else,” he said.
“It’s very humbling”.
And when it comes to countering loneliness, Mr Kovacs said it’s as simple as keeping a smile on your face.
For those wanting to get involved, Minister Hamilton urged people to look beyond Christmas - which is a popular day for volunteers - and consider lending a hand for the year-round Monday to Friday meal service.
