Christmas Drop in Centre

The festive season is nearly here, and for numerous individuals, it marks the most joyful time of the year. Nevertheless, a study conducted by the Red Cross reveals that over 31 percent of Australians experience loneliness during the Christmas period. This poses a notable issue for a town like Gladstone, which hosts many individuals temporarily and alone for work. Furthermore, residents are well aware that celebrating Christmas in regional Queensland can be financially burdensome, putting considerable stress on holiday budgets.

In order to help address some of this isolation, homeless charity Space to Be Gladstone and social enterprise Slow Lane Café in Kin Kora have again teamed up with a number of local businesses to create a Christmas Day Drop-in Centre project mirroring last year’s successful event. The idea is simple, anyone can turn up and find free food and company on Christmas Day. Slow Lane Café owner, Simon McClintock explained that community organisations understand, “some people can’t afford a Christmas lunch, while others simply have no one to spend Christmas day with.” Repeating what he said after last year’s successful Christmas Drop-in Centre, he reiterated that, “loneliness is one of the most under-acknowledged issues that has been directly related to mental, emotional, and even physical health issues. Loneliness isn’t just about ‘aloneness’, but a sense of isolation from care and connection.”