Community meal to again break bread

The Cowes Community Meal will once again be held for the final few weeks of December, starting next Monday. The Meal – which is free to those doing it tough in the community – was paused during lockdown, with the St John’s Uniting Church team instead offering a selection of socially distanced takeaway food. St John’s Reverend Ian Turnnidge said the Meal would run December 6, 13, and 20, 5.30pm-6pm with everyone invited for a sit-down meal, provided they can show their double vaccination certificate. “If people don’t have a certificate they can still turn up but we will instead provide a takeaway meal,” he said. The two-course menu will include food provided by Aldi, Bakers Delight and Coles, as well as Newhaven College senior school students who have baked cookies and chocolate bombs. “The good thing about distributing food during lockdown is that we kept in contact with people and the good thing about coming together is that we’ll pull back some of the community spirit for Christmas and check in with each other.” Ian said the Meal has enough volunteers for this year but anyone interested can put their name down for 2022. “The volunteers enjoy it as much as the participants and will enjoy seeing each other again, whether it’s the daytime cooking team or the night service team. He said the idea for the Meal came about in 2016 through a bequest, following the death of local resident and member of the congregation Vi Marshman in 2014. “The Meal is all because of Vi,” Ian said. “She wanted her bequest linked to community development, social justice and to help those in the community in need.” Anyone interested in helping can contact the Uniting Church or go to the Cowes Community Meal Facebook site.