Making sure everyone in Rotorua has a place to go and food to eat on Christmas Day has again been taken care of by the Rotorua Association of Ministers.
This year sees a change of venue for the event which is to be held at the Energy Events Centre instead of the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre, which has been closed for earthquake strengthening.
Harvest Apostolic Church pastor and Rotorua Christmas Day Community Lunch planning committee chairman Dave Moore said it was important people who were not able to have what would normally be considered a comfortable Christmas Day, could do so.
"Our aim is, for people who are going to be on their own or who cannot afford a Christmas meal, to come and celebrate with others from the community."
Volunteers are being sought for the lunch although Pastor Moore said help was always forthcoming.
"We normally reach volunteer capacity quite quickly. It's cool so many people want to help out."
People are needed to help set up the venue on Friday, December 22 and then for food preparation on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day service and host volunteers will be required while the long-established kitchen team takes care of the cooking.
Pastor Moore said donations toward making the lunch a possibility would also be gratefully received.
"Going back a few years we used to accept donations of food but always found ourselves with a little too much of one thing and a little too little of others. So now we purchase in bulk ourselves.
"It was likewise with gifts for attendees. Some people would donate extravagant gifts while others would give something smaller and it's a little hard for youngsters to understand why one got this and they got that."
Relying solely on donations, Pastor Moore said about $4000 was budgeted on food.
"We work on $10 a head or $40 a family so, if anyone was thinking about donating to the lunch, that's an indicator of costs."
He said the people of Rotorua had always been generous in the past.
"If it wasn't for them we wouldn't be able to do what we do."
How to be part of it
Donations to the Rotorua Christmas Day Community Lunch can be made into the Rotorua Ministers Association Account 11-6100-0017915-11.
Register to be a volunteer at the Rotorua Christmas Day Community Lunch Facebook page.
To register to attend the lunch, fill out a form at the Citizens Advice Bureau on Eruera St, at the Salvation Army Community Ministries on the corner of Haupapa and Amohia St or online through the Facebook page.