WITH one more sleep until Christmas, final preparations are being made for the annual Mount Gambier Community Christmas Day Lunch.
Providing food and festive cheer for those in need, organiser Liz Rymill said the event – held at Mount Gambier City Hall – highlighted the need for community support.
“Feedback I always get from people involved in the event is they did not realise there was such a need in our community,” she said.
“Homelessness or even disconnection from neighbours and family is something people do not think of as a big of a problem as it can be in regional areas.
“I am a big believer in everybody is equal and deserving no matter their circumstance, so this day is a great way to put that into work – but of course we try and do that all year round.”
Bus transport around Mount Gambier is available with the event to start at 10.30am.
Bookings can be made on 0418 840 947, but are not essential.
In addition to the community lunch, residents will also flock to the Gambier Hotel on Christmas Day for a special lunch.
The pub opened on Christmas Day last year for the first time in more than six years, with venue manager Jarrad Mutton hailing it a success.
“We had such a great response to our Christmas lunch last year we wanted to do it again,” he said.
“We are already completely booked out for lunch, which is great for us, but it also gives a chance to give back to our community.
“Without them we could not operate so it is important to us to give them a stress-free option for Christmas Day.”
The venue’s bottle shop will also be open until 3pm.
