The Moderator attends Exodus Christmas Lunch

The Moderator, Rev. Myung Hwa Park spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day volunteering and then sharing their annual Christmas Day lunch in Ashfield.

Exodus celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and is famous for its large-scale, hearty Christmas Lunch. The annual lunch is the centre-piece of the Exodus food program calendar, and ensures those with very little don’t miss out on the joy of a Christmas day Lunch.

“It really was a joyful occasion and I was surprised by the quality and amount of food,” said the Moderator, “Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Exodus Foundation was a fresh experience for me!”

“Together with the hundreds of volunteers, young and old, men and women I decorated the tent and put up Christmas trees fit for a grand banquet,” said the Moderator of the volunteering experience. “While we sat around to tie the hundreds of shiny blue balls and the blue ribbons, we [the volunteers] weaved our stories and laughed together as if we were old friends. My daughters and I will look forward to having another fantastic Christmas Dinner at Exodus next year!”

Exodus has been providing a large-scale Christmas Lunch event for more than a quarter of a century– and it all started with a simple dinner to help a few disadvantaged youth back in 1986.

Guests received small but useful gifts such as toiletries packs, and children attending received a donated Christmas present. Attendees experience a range of entertainment, and everyone gets to enjoy the lunch served by hundreds of Exodus volunteers who work to ensure a friendly community environment for all.

The day provides an opportunity for many Sydney-siders to volunteer their services and demonstrate their support and commitment for the work of the Foundation and the people they seek to help.

Each year Exodus staff, celebrities, dignitaries, politicians, Exodus suppliers, and radio and television media personalities join regular volunteers as part of this special event.

Over 3000 guests took part in Exodus’s 2014 Christmas Day Lunch and over 100 volunteers assisted with cooking, serving tables and entertaining.