City Mission experiencing busiest Christmas yet

There isn’t a single moment that can truly capture everything that the Christchurch City Mission Christmas Day Lunch is; the entire day is peppered with moments of magic, like a child’s face lighting up when they receive their only Christmas gift, or the relief parents have when their kids tuck into their meal, or the sound of people singing along to Christmas carols. There’s magic in every Pavlova that is delivered to the table, and in each leg of ham or lamb that is donated.

2017 saw 750 people join the City Mission to celebrate Christmas and this year we are expecting to host over 1000 of our whanau; it’s a true privilege to host so many people and share in the celebration of Christmas.

“Every day we’re seeing more and more people turn up and ask for help. We can see the need is growing. We serve at the privilege of our community, so the support we’re receiving from the community is essential to be able to face this growing need. We just can’t do it alone” says Matthew Mark.

In the lead up to Christmas Day, we have seen people lining up outside our doors waiting for the Foodbank to open; rain or shine. Demand has risen across all services for food support and assistance with the provision of gifts.

The Christmas Day Lunch is an integral way of supporting families through the Christmas Season, alleviating the burden of preparing a Christmas Lunch and ensuring every child who attends receives a gift.

This year we are incredibly grateful to have partnered with Hellers, who have stepped in to be the naming rights partner, along with a donation of half a tonne of ham. We have also had vital help from Harcourts, and Scenic Circle Hotel Group.

These partnerships indicate the positive impact these organisations are having in the community, and their sincere focus on social impact. For us, not only is it an honour to work alongside these organisations, but it is also essential to the sustainability of an event that grows exponentially each year.

Thank you again to Hellers for presenting the lunch, and to Harcourts and Scenic Circle Hotel Group for backing it further.

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