Shekinah's Christmas lunch shows difference

SUPPORTERS HELP TO FEED OVER 80 PEOPLE

- By KATIE OBORN

FOR me, Christmas is all about gathering together, thinking of other people, and reflecting on the year gone by while enjoying tasty food and meaningful conversations. So when I was invited to Plymouth’s Shekinah Centre for their annual Christmas lunch party, I knew I'd experience all of those things.

Shekinah’s Christmas lunch is put on every year for their homeless clients, and over 80 people had signed up to attend. The lunch is fully funded by Bidfood, plus other local donations.

Most of the attendees were either rough sleeping in Plymouth or living in a hostel close by, so it’s an opportunity for them to get some delicious Christmas food and social connection something we all need.

As soon as I walked in the door, I was welcomed by the Shekinah team, along with client Ryan, who immediately shared his circumstances with me and explained how important the Shekinah Centre is to him.

The 40-year-old told me he was “born and bred in Plymouth” and had “come out of jail three weeks ago”. I asked him about the process of leaving prison after his sentence ended, he said “they give you £120 and send you on your way’, so he'd travelled back to Plymouth from Bristol and is currently “in a tent”.

Ryan said: “I love Shekinah, the best thing is that they treat us like one of their own, hand on heart, I love it. I've been on and off the streets (for years), but I’m always happy, always positive. What's not killing me is making me stronger.”