By Jason Irvine
The Lions Club of Broken Hill have held a Christmas lunch for five local nursing homes as part of Lions Club International’s World Service Day.
The lunch, held on the third Tuesday in November, saw 300 residents from St Anne’s, Harold Williams, Con Crowley, Aruma Lodge and the War Veteran’s Homes, enjoy a BBQ, sweets, and a friendly chat.
World Service Day Chairman, Lions Club of Broken Hill, John Carney OAM JP, outlined what the day involved and the significance of holding events like this.
“As part of Lions Club International World Service Day, our local Lions Club provides the residents of five nursing homes the opportunity to enjoy a friendship luncheon with a BBQ, salads, sweets, cooked and served by our members. This is an annual event as part of our community of Broken Hill projects,” Mr Carney told the Barrier Truth.
“This day has always been an enjoyable and successful experience and we hope to be able to continue to offer this function to the nursing homes in the future as long as we are able to continue our service to the community of Broken Hill.
“It brings a cheer to them. We try to cheer them up as much as we can and they’re very grateful at the end of the day,” Mr Carney said.
“You’ve got people who have got dementia, Alzheimer’s, all that, but this is one thing they don’t forget and they’re pleased to see you. I think they’d have one every week if they could!”
“They made us welcome too. We mingled around with them, we had about half a dozen come out and they just watched us there while cooking but they enjoyed that, and they were talking with us and you make their day.”
“I’m personally very proud to do it, and it really is part of Lions, it’s what we’re there for, to help the community, to raise funds and put the money back into the community.”
