Over Christmas period the Community Cafe at central hall has always run a Christmas Cafe with a festive feel for those who are homeless or vulnerable. This year with the Covid restrictions the usual sit down meal was no longer possible and so the team running the service had to adapt and so offered a take away service, as they have been doing regularly through the year each Sunday. They were also able to provide a drink of mulled wine and tins of biscuits in the car park, donated by IKEA.
Crystal one of the regular volunteers reports ” We served 65 people at the Christmas café this year. We loved serving the mulled wine, it really warmed up some cold hands as well as providing a festive drink. The photos show where we served from, we tried to make the carpark look as festive as possible! My husband is serving the mulled wine and my daughter is giving out tins of biscuits.”
Crystal was interviewed on BBC Radio Solent, and for those who want to hear her describe the cafe it is at 3hr 10mins into the recording. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/
We’ve been running our Christmas Café each year since 2005, offering a warm and welcoming place for anyone in need, including those who are homeless, lonely or vulnerable. The Café provides free food and hot drinks, as well as activities and entertainment for guests to enjoy.
The Christmas Café arose out of a desire to show the generosity of Jesus to those in society who least experience it, and to provide a safe and welcoming space at a time of the year when many traditional support services in the community are closed. The café is open to all, regardless of an individual’s background, lifestyle choices or religious beliefs. The event is organised and run entirely by volunteers, and is funded by generous donations.