St Paul's spreads Christmas cheer around
WILLY Bailey knows helping the homeless isn't all about sad faces and broken spirits.
Mackay
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WILLY Bailey knows helping the homeless isn't all about sad faces and broken spirits.
"We get lots of smiles," the St Paul's Uniting Church Mackay volunteer said.
"It's good fun for a start - you meet lots of people that need help. Some of them are shy, some of them sneak in but once they get there and see everyone caring for them, it makes a difference.
"It's really a two-way thing - they get something out of it and we get something out of it too."
This Christmas, Mrs Bailey will be just one of many volunteers who will feed and entertain Mackay's 30 to 40 odd "walking homeless" at St Paul's in Macalister St.
While the focus is on those who sleep rough, St Paul's elder Don Leckenby said it would be a mistake to only focus on the needs of the homeless.
"You'll probably see a rise in suicide rates (this Christmas)," he said.
"It won't necessarily be applied to homeless people, but also those with psychiatric problems.
"It's due to loneliness and being away from family."
That's where the dedicated team of volunteers comes in.
St Paul's will be holding "Christmas for everyone" in its parish hall from Christmas Day to New Year's Day.
Opening hours are 9am to 5pm.
Mr Leckenby said they would provide everything from food and warm drinks to games and entertainment.
"At any one time there will be four volunteers on shift, two on food preparation and two looking after the homeless and those in need of socialising," he said.
Mrs Bailey described her role as being like a cheer leader. "We're sort of there to keep things fun," she said. "There will be games so we'll help with the games and puzzles.
"We'll have a Dutch game called sjoelbak (shuffleboard).
Mrs Bailey said her religious belief was intrinsically linked to her volunteering.
"The model of St Paul's Church is making Jesus' love a reality in the city of Mackay," she said.
"So this is one way we try and do that."
Originally published as St Paul's spreads Christmas cheer around
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