TEN days before the tables were set at Foreshore Park, one tireless volunteer was already hard at work helping to put together the Samaritans Christmas Day lunch for more than 1000 people in Newcastle.
Therese Sciberras retired at the turn of millennium in 2000, but she said she could not stop working. She is an active person, she said, and would go out of her mind without a job to keep her occupied.
Ms Sciberras was at the front of a small army of volunteers who had given up their time on Christmas Day to serve the Samaritans annual Christmas luncheon at Foreshore Park.
"Therese is a pocket dynamo," coordinator Dana Pichaloff said.
"She just wants to do everything.
"This year, she has been made a supervisor because she just knows it. She has been there, and done that."
Ms Sciberras has volunteered at the Samaritans lunch for 18 years. When she steps through the crowd of volunteers manning the food stations, she shakes hands wearing a pair of servers gloves and a Christmas hat.
"Every year, the lunch is increasing," she says. "I just love being with people and I love doing it. It gives me a reason to go on."
Ms Sciberras was leading her own team of around 10 on Wednesday to help serve up more than 1000 pieces of chicken, thousands of drinks, and hundreds of kilograms of salad, fruits and vegetables to attending families, friends and those looking to connect on Christmas.
Andrew Farley, a volunteer originally from Melbourne, was helping to fit out attending men with formal jackets, pants and shirts after Westfield donated 200 suits to the event.
"It's really positive," he said. "You wouldn't be able to tell if the person sitting next to you was a lawyer or if they were sleeping rough. Everyone is just here together."
The Bishop of the Newcastle Anglican Diocese, Dr Peter Stuart, spoke of the annual lunch as a credit to the community.
"Here there are people in need and there are people who want to help them, and it is such a great community," he said.
"Newcastle really shines down here every year.
"I'm really encouraged by the people who are always trying to find ways to care for people. It's just so exciting."
Ms Pichaloff said the annual Christmas Day lunch, now in its 19th year, took considerable effort from volunteers to put on, but its rewards were well worth it.
"The day is intended to support those that are less fortunate in our region," she said. "Christmas can be a very emotional time for everyone, and we know that there are a lot of people in our region who need our support. We never turn anyone away. At the end of the day, it is about community. No one should be alone."
The lunch was complemented with a working barber shop, suit outfitters, a crew of volunteers handing out ladies' handbags packed with small gifts and essentials, as well as toys for children, live music, and a special appearance by Santa Claus.
Craig Lawlor, a race horse strapper from Muswellbrook, had travelled to Newcastle to spend the day among friends.
"It's bloody good," he said. "I love it. We'll be back next year again.
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