Regular readers will know that Christmas isn't my favourite time of year. Yesterday I fulfilled a long term ambition, to do something positive for the many people who aren't as fortunate as I am.
I went to a huge centre in West Oxford to wash plates & peel veg for a huge charity Christmas lunch today for over 500 people. It's all run by one woman & has been for years. She is amazing. It was very jolly with lots of helpers. We only did 2 hours & I was exhausted. Some volunteers work all day. It made me realise that even amid all the bad news the ability for compassion in people is still there, but you don't hear much about it. I hadn't heard about this, someone at the school my daughter teaches at asked us to help.
I simply could not believe the logistics of this wonderful undertaking. Furniture had to be moved, vast quantities of donated veg had to be prepared, plates & cutlery had to be cleaned, turkeys & stock had to be prepared, (fortunately by men who were obviously chefs), volunteers had to be effectively organised. On the day transport has to be organised to bring people to the venue. The whole thing involves a huge army of volunteers. Although the lovely woman in charge is very organised she actually doesn't necessarily know who will turn up to volunteer or how long they will stay. She is just wonderfully optimistic that it will all come together at the end & it always has - even in Covid.
That is real faith. That is real philanthropy. That is the true spirit of Christmas.
For one day I actually felt that there is hope in the midst of the appalling problems we have in the world. If one woman can achieve all of that & give so many people a wonderful time think what humanity could really achieve.
We just need to have the will to do it.
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