Around 200 people from Serpentine to Gosnells came together in Byford on December 20 to celebrate the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale’s first community Christmas for the homeless.
And Homelessness We Care’s Stuart and Coral McLellan couldn’t be happier.
“I was hoping for at least one person – any more than that was a bonus,” Coral explained.
“The grounds of the Byford Baptist Church were transformed – it really was the perfect venue,” Stuart said.
“It just went fantastically – we honestly couldn’t have hoped for anything better,” Coral said.
“It was so good to see everyone come together and be equal. Whether you’re rich, poor, young or old, everyone was just there together as a community.”
The star of the show was the big man in red, who rode in on a ute laden with presents for everyone – young, old, and even four-legged.
“The kids just went wild when he came in,” Coral said. “He made such an impact.”
But there was plenty of joy found in cuddling a bobtail too, with the Armadale Reptile Park crew bringing along some scaled friends to the party.
“And of course, all the girls from Mundijong Hair turned up and were doing braids and special hair-dos for everyone,” Coral said.
“It was just brilliant – so many people donated their time,” Stuart added, adding a special thanks to the shire staff and Buddy Up Australia veterans who volunteered their time for the event.
“This community really just rocks,” Coral agreed.
The pair explained they’d been overwhelmed by donations, including a full leg of ham from a lady on the day of the party who had seen the article in the Examiner and wanted to spread a bit of Christmas cheer.
Coral and her team of helpers spent two days cooking the meat and veg for the roast dinner. And a highlight was the handmade Christmas pudding with custard, which went down a treat.
Stuart and Coral said the success of the event has made them even more determined to make this an annual tradition.
“Without a doubt, we’ll be doing it all again next year,” they said.
“Being the first one, we really weren’t sure how it would go, so, we really want to thank the shire, Doral, the Jarrahdale Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, the Serpentine Jarrahdale SES Unit and everyone who contributed their time or donated supplies, for supporting us to make sure it was a success.”
Photographs – Richard Polden.
