Giving back at Christmas | The Examiner | November 28, 2023 - video Dailymotion

Peter and Kathy Rittman talk about the satisfaction they get from giving back at the City Mission Christmas day dinner. Video Rod Thompson

Transcript

00:00 The community has been pretty good to us over the years so it's nice to give something back.

00:08 We were both involved in Apex for years and we sort of got into the habit of being part

00:15 of the community and doing things for the community that on those days government departments

00:19 wouldn't do.

00:20 Different now of course, but you miss the habit of not being involved in the community

00:26 so it's lovely to do something and give something back.

00:29 I guess it's a party atmosphere.

00:32 People come to have fun and I think a lot of it's people who probably don't get a great

00:38 deal of fun in their circle.

00:40 Maybe they're unemployed or they live in rough or I really don't know.

00:44 But they get to mix with other people other than their normal circle of friends or government

00:49 departments they talk to and it gets them to create a whole new network of friends and

00:56 be part of a bigger community.

00:58 I mean the first year we did the Christmas luncheon I became really good friends with

01:04 a family.

01:05 There was mum, dad and a little boy probably about 12 to 18 months old and then I hosted

01:11 them at my table.

01:12 Then the second year, unfortunately I didn't get to host them at my table, but they came

01:17 looking for me.

01:18 I told them that I volunteer at the Sydney Mission at Prospect.

01:23 So dad came in one day looking for me and was so pleased that I happened to be on that

01:28 day and gave me the biggest cuddle.

01:31 And every year they come, I'm one of the first people they go looking for.

01:35 So it's a bond that I've formed and I'm hoping to see them again this year.

01:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]