The Healesville Yarra Glen Uniting Church will once again host its annual Christmas Day community lunch, continuing a tradition that has been running for over a decade.
Taking place at the Healesville Uniting Church on Maroondah Highway opposite the MEMO, the annual community Christmas lunch was taken over by the Healesville Yarra Glen Uniting Church when the Salvation Army stopped running its local Christmas.
Member of the Healesville Yrra Glen Uniting Church Dale Prentice said, “We kind of took the lunch over from the Salvation Army as they were closing down.”
Mr Prentice is a qualified chef, so he heads up the lunch, cooking for the community.
The Christmas lunch takes place on Christmas Day, immediately following the church’s Christmas service at 11am.
The lunch usually caters for around 60 people, although numbers can increase depending on demand.
Mr Prentice said, “One year we had about a hundred people. Um, we just moved all the chairs in the church and set that up as a dining room as well.”
Designed particularly for people who may otherwise spend Christmas alone, the lunch is free and open to anyone in the community who is after a bit of socialization and food support on Christmas Day.
Mr Prentice said, “A lot of people may be on their own for the first time at Christmas, whether they have lost a partner or have just moved to Healesville.”
“The main aim is to provide a family-like community environment for people to celebrate Christmas together,” he said.
The lunch features a traditional Christmas roast with options to suit a range of dietary needs. A large Christmas pudding is also a yearly highlight and tradition.
“It’s usually a full roast lunch, so ham, turkey, pork, vegetables, um, vegetarian and gluten-free options, obviously,” Mr Prentice said.
“One of the ladies from our congregation makes the largest Christmas pudding you’ve ever seen in your life… It weighs about seven or eight kilos,” he said.
While volunteers assist with food handling and carving, the emphasis is on participation and shared responsibility.
Those who wish to attend the lunch, are encouraged to register at the Church’s reception in advance so organisers can cater appropriately.
Calling up to be added to the catering list is another option.
Mr Prentice said the lunch reflects the church’s broader commitment to community connection.
“Bringing communities together is really important for us as a church,” he said.
“Loneliness is still probably one of the largest problems that Australia has.”
“Staying connected and finding ways to involve people that are not normally involved in things, is part of caring, caring for our community,” Mr Prentice said.
Mr Prentice described the Christmas lunch as a culmination of the church’s year-round community work.
“The lunch is like a celebration of all of our community activity we have achieved together throughout the year,” Mr Prentice said.
Donations are always welcome.
For more information, visit the Healesville Uniting Church’s website at healesville.unitingchurch.org.au/
