TWO single mums have joined forces to put on an inaugural community Christmas lunch in Dean to bring people together who would otherwise spend the day alone.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bec Hannan and Sarah Douglas came up with the idea upon discovering that there was a waiting list to volunteer at any charity in Ballarat on Christmas Day.
The women met by chance and upon realising they had come from similar circumstances, came to the conclusion that there had to be others who also didn’t have family to spend Christmas with.
“We both escaped from domestic violence situations but we’ve both got a roof over our heads now and are able to put food on the table every week, so we don't fit into the charitable category – we don’t need help, we just need to be around people,” Ms Douglas said.
“There are lots of people who don’t necessarily need help but are lonely and isolated. Christmas is the worst time to feel lonely.”
Ms Hannan said the lunch was not just for Dean, but for anybody living across the shire or further afield.
“Whether it be people who have escaped family violence or people who don’t have anywhere else to go, we want to invite them to our inclusive community Christmas.”
A lot of women who flee family violence are left broken and isolated. Healing comes through friendships and connections.
- Bec Hannan
Ms Hannan hired Dean Hall for her daughter’s birthday in the past so thought it was the perfect place to stage the lunch.
The women have been inundated with community support, from donations from local food producers to a young six-year-old boy donating $150 of his savings.
With a snack grazing table to get everybody talking, followed by a summer-themed Christmas lunch, dessert and a barbeque for picky kids, it will be a lunch with all the trimmings accentuated by carols, warmth and festivity.
“We want to create a nice, vibrant environment where people can create connections and the kids can run around and play,” Ms Hannan said. “The feedback has been really positive, that there is a real need for something like this here.”
From facilitating the lunch, Ms Hannan has been approached about offering workshops for underprivileged women.
“I am four years out from fleeing violence so I am a lot stronger. I have skill sets that are underutilised –floristry and songwriting – so I would love to teach them in this hall once a month. From this event, the whole thing can flow to a business where we create a space for women to connect. A lot of women who flee family violence are left broken and isolated,” she said. “Healing comes through friendships and connections.”
To RSVP to the lunch, text 0403 452 449 or 0400 618 580.
