It’s Christmas Day. A woman dressed in an elf costume is constantly on the move.
She checks that guests are enjoying their lunch and ensures everything goes smoothly.
This is an annual tradition for Therese Sciberras.
The 77-year-old has put her hand up to volunteer at Samaritans Christmas lunches in Newcastle for more than two decades.
The event aims to spread festive cheer for those in the community who are less fortunate or lonely.
Therese joined Samaritans, a service agency of Newcastle Anglican, as part of the Christmas Lunch in the Park (CLIP) team in 2001.
She says her interactions with the community bring her back year after year.
“You get a lot of the same people, but it’s different,” she says.
“The atmosphere, weather, and even us workers. It’s a good thing. I enjoy being with the public, I really do.
“We all have our problems but, when you get out there, you can forget about yours and you can enjoy yourself.”
Therese has seen first-hand the importance of bringing joy and hope to many vulnerable members of the community.
In her first role with Samaritans, she showed care and respect while welcoming visitors to the Christmas lunches.
It proved to be an eye-opening experience.
“Standing back and looking at different people’s faces, there are lots and lots of lonely people out there,” she says.
“I was one of the few that went around and welcomed people as they came in.
“You’d start talking about Christmas and then they’d open up about themselves.
“The females were always heartbreaking. They’d tell us how they’d just lost their husband and it was their first Christmas without them. It was really sad.”
While there have been many changes to the Christmas lunches over the years, Therese remains ever-present.
And, she is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I can’t keep still; I really need to be working. I hate being at home doing nothing,” she says.
“I want to keep going for as long as I possibly can. I’m finding the older I get, the more I need to keep moving.”
Apart from Christmas Day, Therese offers her time and expertise in the lead-up to the event by helping to sort all of the presents into categories.
This is on top of her other volunteer work.
“I’m also with the RFS [Rural Fire Service]. I’ve worked with the State Emergency Service, St John’s Ambulance, Maitland Events, and Maitland Regional Art Gallery.
“It is a lot, but it’s not every day.”
Samaritans is thankful it can count on the selfless work of Therese, as well as many other volunteers, for its annual Christmas lunches.
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