- Serving Christmas treats
- Christmas caroling
- Meeting, greeting, and serving
- Serving a meal at Christmastime
- North Coast Missionaries at Christmas Luncheon Setup
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Members and friends of the Joondalup and Ocean Reef congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Perth joined with the Perth “Street Friends” on 22nd December to sing Christmas carols, share a dinner, and enjoy the spirit of the season.
“Street Friends” is an informal organisation started eight years ago by Michelle and Graham Dunlop which meets every Thursday night in the Perth CBD to assist the homeless in need of clothing, food, bedding and other necessities. Street Friends was one of the recipients of the Christmas Charity Gift Box Appeal, which is coordinated annually by the North Coast Stake of the Church.
Church volunteers and friends in the community filled shoe boxes and backpacks with Christmas goodies as well as everyday necessities, which were distributed after the dinner. According to one of the volunteers, Anouck Van Dyck, “Everyone had an amazing evening and really felt the spirit of sacrifice and love at Christmas.”
This evening of service was followed on Christmas day by Church members and young missionaries volunteering at the City of Joondalup Christmas Lunch, an annual event designed “to provide a free Christmas lunch to local community residents who have nowhere to go, no family, are lonely or isolated, or cannot afford a meal on their own,” according to the event website.
The first Christmas lunch was held in 2008 and has grown each year to be attended by over 500 guests in 2016.
The website describes the event as "a sit-down Christmas lunch served on white linen draped tables in a wonderfully decorated atmosphere representing the Christmas spirit. Other activities take place during the afternoon which keep guests entertained and add to the festive spirit.”
The missionaries in the North Coast Stake helped set up the event on Christmas Eve and helped pack down after it was over. Members assisted in serving food and leading guests in various activities.
“We saw the event as a way to help spread the love of Christ throughout this special time of year and ensure each individual knows they are loved and valued,” said Georgina Warena, who volunteered for the event along with her husband and son.