General News
14 December, 2023
Volunteers serve up a Christmas feast
THE holiday period was a little brighter this year thanks to members of St Vincent De Paul’s Terang Conference.
Members served a generous Christmas community luncheon last week to feed around 70 members of the community at the Civic Hall’s Rose Room.
St Vincent De Paul Terang Conference president Bernadette McKinnon said about 16 volunteers had prepared a delicious meal for those who may not have the opportunity to enjoy such a large-scale Christmas meal with other members of the community.
“The community luncheon was started for some people who might not have an official Christmas luncheon,” she said.
“The day was provided by St Vinnies with the assistance of the local traders who donated some presents and parcels for people.
“It’s a community event, in the spirit of St Vinnies, for helping people.
“It’s grown a bit more now in to a great community event after slowing down a bit due to COVID-19 restrictions.”
Mrs McKinnon said the luncheon had taken various forms over the years, but a constant had been the desire of volunteers to give back to the wider community.
“It started as an afternoon tea but in the last five or six years we moved it back to be a luncheon before the pandemic disrupted things,” she said.
“But no matter the time, our volunteers are happy to be servicing the town with a meal.
“We’ve got some experienced caterers here who have previously catered for large crowds such as events associated with footy clubs, so they know how to prepare a great meal.”