A few weeks ago the guys from the FAB kids group said they wanted to thank people from the Real Junk Food kitchen for all the hospitality they had received during the year by cooking them a Christmas dinner. I obviously thought this was a great idea (those who know me know I never turn down a meal!). Little did I know how much we were all going to be blown away by the hospitality and the generosity we were going to receive.
The guys spend days planning it and started the cooking the night before. This wasn’t going to be just a meal this was going to be a celebration and sharing of passion, skills, talent, gifts and skills.
I turned up about 20 mins before the guest were due to arrive. I walked into a room I could tell was set-up with real care and attention, it was stunning. I went into the kitchen which was buzzing with the vibe you get when people are genuinely loving working with each other, doing something they love, using their gifts, skills, and talents, and doing something for others. Then the guests started to arrive and the look of people’s faces as they walked into the room was priceless. In that moment they felt so valued. As we all ate the scrummy dinner the buzz in the room was incredible as people mingled, chatted, laughed, and smiled. For the hosts this was just the atmosphere they wanted to create and the only thank you they wanted.
This was a group of local moms (and Grandmoms), who themselves give hours for our community, wanting to thank others who give time for our community. For me this was one of the most real experiences of a ‘community’ I had ever had. So if you ask ‘what is community?’ well for me that day it was the act of hosting a gathering, and the generosity that flowed out from within.
Welcome to our street connecting story 