Behind the Scenes at Christmas at Vineyard Compassion
Would you like to take a little peek behind the scenes at what Christmas looks like at Vineyard Compassion? We’d love to show you what it’s like here at The Hope Centre as we work hard, play hard and serve our local community this Christmas time!
Miriam McAlister, the project manager for Vineyard Compassion sets the festive scene for us,
“Whether it's putting up the decorations to create a lovely festive environment that feels warm and welcoming, hearing back from families who have received Christmas gifts for their kids or receiving thank you notes from prisoners who receive a small Christmas gift, being able to help bring hope to people always feels like an honour.”
Hampers of Hope
Hamper packing is one of the biggest features of the Christmas season at The Hope Centre. It takes an army of volunteer elves many weeks of collecting, sorting and packing donations before setting out to make deliveries in Santa’s sleigh (aka the Foodbank van.)
The hampers are filled to the brim with practical food items along with special Christmas treats like Christmas puddings, boxes of chocolates or shortbread and what Christmas hamper would be complete without the obligatory bottle of Shloer?
Joanne McCracken is amazed at how much the local community supports the hampers every year, “I am always overwhelmed by the generosity of local people donating practical items for our hampers of hope at this time of year. It is a busy season for me as food bank coordinator, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!”
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?
Vicki Mulholland, emotional wellbeing services coordinator, confesses that she is a bit of a Christmas fan, “Christmas for me is always a joy filled time of year and I would celebrate from July if I could get away with it!”
At the Hope Centre we recognise that Christmas isn’t the most wonderful time of the year for everyone, so we do all we can to ease the financial pressures that families feel and offer a place of refuge from the overwhelm that many experience through the season. Vicki explains, “In my role I get to bring that joy and hope of the season to people in our community needing support with their emotional wellbeing.”
A Spark of Hope for Everyone 🌟
At the Hope Centre we believe that everyone should be included when it comes to celebrating Christmas. During the festive season, the indignity of poverty becomes more painful for those who struggle to afford even the essentials.
At this time of year, when guests walk through our doors they can expect a warm drink, a friendly face and all the usual services that we provide throughout the year including food, clothing, essential homewares, counselling services and connection to other services that can offer support.
The pressures of poverty can leave people feeling hopeless but we want everyone that comes through our doors this season to experience some Christmas cheer and a feeling of hope for their lives and their future. This is what Christmas means to us at the Hope Centre 🎄