Christmas Across our Territory

Always welcome in Samoa

Christmas time is one of our |busiest times of the year at Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), with December seeing the highest number of referrals and people coming through our service. In Samoa we begin celebrating Christmas at the beginning of November, or sometimes even earlier. People love to decorate their houses and to celebrate a long Christmas season.

Our key AOD group programme runs for seven weeks, with around 30 participants attending each session. Every year we host a special Christmas service instead of our normal facilitated group session. We invite the pastoral care team from our Apia Corps to join us, and together we organise a big lunch. Sometimes we are blessed to receive gifts from companies that we can give to our clients. We also visit clients in prison and bring them Christmas food packages to help them celebrate the season too.

We like to offer a little bit more than just our services and ensure that people know The Salvation Army is a church. At Christmas time, especially, we let them know that they are always welcome at The Salvation Army. Our Christmas church services often see a large turnout from our group programmes, and we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate together.

Chris Vaifale, Alcohol and Other Drugs clinician, Apia

Creating space in Wellington City

Te Whare Tira—Inner City Ministries is a place where everyone is always welcome. We typically have more than 200 people coming through our doors a week and can struggle to meet the needs of our vulnerable clients. They come to us cold and hungry. We give them a place to have a hot drink or some soup and provide sleeping bags and mats where possible. We also create a space for them to connect and find community.

Each Christmas more and more homeless seek our services. Many of our clients do not have relationships with their families, so we become their families. For many years, I have given them a small practical gift at Christmas time, like socks. This year, I want to invite them to enjoy a meal, receive a gift and to hear the reason we celebrate Christmas—Jesus’ birth! Our clients know that I am a pastor and that I love to share Jesus with them.

Major Joe Serevi, Te Whare Tira—Inner City Ministries, Wellington

Together in Fiji

Christmas can be a wonderful time of celebration, but it also often brings added financial and emotional stress, particularly for those living in poverty. We invite people in our community to come and be a part of our Christmas celebrations and reassure them that they are not alone. Throughout the week leading up to Christmas we visit people in their homes and encourage them to join us for our activities. The highlight of Christmas week is our community meal on Christmas Day.

At Nasinu Corps (church) we have a talented team of young people who are the backbone of all our Christmas events. They turn up year after year and get great satisfaction in serving the community. They put on a Christmas production, and organise catering, carolling, music and everything we need. We are so blessed to have these young people.

We have a monthly community meal and provide a buffet meal where people help themselves, but at Christmas we like to invite our guests to their seats to serve them and to spend time chatting and enjoying each other’s company. We want them to feel welcome and enjoy the special atmosphere at Christmas. It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone to be recipients of God’s love.

Major Arone Cheer, corps officer, Nasinu Corps, Suva

Christmas koha for New Zealand

The Campaigns team works behind the scenes to ensure there are ongoing opportunities for the public to support the work of The Salvation Army in New Zealand. We coordinate and run four appeals each year, with our Christmas Appeal being our largest and most significant. Planning for our Christmas Appeal begins each year in June, to ensure that families in need are supported at Christmas time with food, gifts and wraparound support. Our Christmas Appeal is particularly special as it also provides us with an opportunity to share our faith with others.

Last year’s Christmas Appeal made a tangible difference in the lives of more than 38,900 people nationwide. There is a greater sense of goodwill and wanting to do things for others at Christmas. People are so generous and what they give makes an enormous difference to so many.

During this busy time of year, we make sure The Salvation Army remains at the forefront of people’s minds. Our advertisements will be visible on television, posters, billboards, online and across social media. This year, we follow the story of John and his family and the gift his son received—a teddy bear named Koha. Viewers will get to know these people as their story unfolds leading up to Christmas and in future appeals next year.

Diana Hill, campaigns manager for the Christmas Appeal, Supporter Engagement and Fundraising

Enhancing mana in Epsom

We provide supportive accommodation for individuals in transition. For some, Epsom Lodge is home and we are their family; for others, we are their family this year but not the next. We love to spoil our tangata (people) at Christmas. Some of our tangata have ‘family leave’ to be with their loved ones at Christmas. Where possible we encourage time with whānau (family).

Our Christmas Day lunch begins at 12.30pm and includes a three-course sit-down meal. Between courses we sing carols and enjoy a Christmas message. We give out gifts to everyone. In the past this has included practical gifts and treats. This year we want to be more mana enhancing and are giving vouchers so individuals can choose what they want. Our tangata are given a packed meal to celebrate the evening how they choose. This enables our dedicated staff to have time with their own families.

We are mindful that although we are a Christian organisation, Christmas is not a big thing for some people. Part of our mission is to bring people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus, so we enjoy celebrating Christmas but do so in a tasteful and understated way. We also acknowledge that Christmas can be a sad time for many and we are aware of those who have support and those who do not. For those who remain at Epsom Lodge over Christmas, food, fellowship and connection is really important.

Captain Chonny Bryan, mission leader, Epsom Lodge, Auckland

Passion and dedication in Tonga

At ADAC we provide comprehensive treatment programmes for those seeking support with alcohol and drug issues, as well as assistance in stopping domestic violence. Each client is allocated a counsellor and attends weekly group sessions. We also offer home visits for our clients and their families.

Christmas is an extremely busy time for our team. This year, we are fortunate to have three extra casual staff members to support us. During the Christmas season, we visit 10 to 15 families each week. We work closely with our wonderful Community Ministries team who provide us with food parcels. We deliver these parcels and offer prayers for the families. In addition to our existing clients, we receive requests for support from other churches. We are often asked to speak to youth about alcohol and drugs during this time of the year. We run these programmes between Christmas and New Year.

Our team is incredibly passionate and dedicated. Even though we are a small team we feel so blessed. We are grateful for the support from New Zealand that aids the Army’s work in Tonga. We have a strong backing that motivates us to continue our important work. It’s our great team that drives us all, especially at Christmas.

Mele Prescott, programme manager, Alcohol and Drug Awareness Centre (ADAC), Nuku’alofa

Witnessing joy in Porirua

This year, due to the increasing cost of living, our Community Ministries team is on a mission to spread as much joy as possible to as many people as we can. We are excited to host a Christmas Carnival on the evening of 6 December, where everyone can join us for face painting, food stalls and games. It is going to be a fun evening celebrating the joy of Christmas with our community.

Last year, inspired by a corps member, we began our ‘Christmas Joy’ initiative. We collect Christmas trees, lights and decorations from people who no longer want them and give them away to families in need. There are many families who have never had the opportunity to decorate for Christmas. We get the kids involved making salt dough decorations and ice Christmas cookies together.

We also give out food parcels and gifts from the Kmart Wishing Tree. Generous support from the Wishing Tree Appeal allows our clients to choose the gifts they give to their children. We set up a room with all the toys on display and dedicate a few days for our staff to assist shoppers in selecting and wrapping the perfect gifts.

We are so grateful for the people who do donate; their contributions make everything we do possible. We get to witness the joy of seeing the difference it makes to many at Christmastime.

Captain Nicki Dutton, corps officer and director of Community Ministries, Porirua

Cared for in Christchurch

At Reintegration Services, we work one-on-one with individuals who have been released from prison. Our teams across the country are dedicated to supporting reintegration back into our communities. Christmas can be particularly challenging for our clients. Some have whānau connections and are invited to spend Christmas with them, but many do not and it can be a lonely time.

People who have children may have difficulty buying them presents. In previous years we have taken them to choose gifts to give them. We organise food parcels for our clients to assist them during this time; including a few treats helps them feel cared for and encouraged at Christmas.

We anticipate an increase in occupancy towards the end of the year and expect to be 90 to 100 percent full. While this season is meant to be joyful, we recognise that it can be a sad time of year for some. We make sure our clients are settled, have stable routines in place and are equipped with the tools they need to support themselves before the Christmas period. Also, we have managers on the ground and an after-hours number they can contact to ensure everyone feels supported at Christmas.

Mark Pellett, southern regional manager, Reintegration Services, Christchurch