St Monica Trust Supports Caring at Christmas

St Monica Trust’s chefs headed to Trinity Centre on 30th December to cook dinner for the final day of Caring in Bristol’s Big Christmas Dinner.

Food Development Manager Adrian Kirikmaa led a team of chefs from Oatley House to provide 200 hot dinners at the Trinity Centre for those experiencing homelessness and hardship this Christmas.

Caring in Bristol, a charity which works to end homelessness in the city, launched ‘Bristol’s Big Christmas Dinner’ on December 24. The project has run for three decades created to help feed people experiencing homelessness over the festive period.

The campaign saw some of Bristol’s top restaurateurs and chef teams provide restaurant-quality dinners with all the trimmings and a warm, welcoming atmosphere for those experiencing homelessness.

The meals included traditional roast dinners and festive foods, suitable for all dietary needs and this year’s campaign was the biggest event ever, in response to winter conditions and the cost-of-living crisis

Adrian explained; “Caring in Bristol works year-round to help move people back from the edge of homelessness, or to support those living on the streets, creating a safe and welcoming haven for those who need and deserve help.

“The project ran every day from Christmas Eve through the festive period. We’re pleased to be able to lend a hand again this year, with ingredients and chefs for a warming curry lunch.”

It was fantastic that many of our suppliers could help out with donations, including Joes bakery, Nisbets, RD Johns, Nisbets and Total Produce and Harris butchers.”

Luke Mitchell, Corporate and Community Partnerships Coordinator at Caring in Bristol explained;
“This year has been tougher than ever with the pressures on our services mounting due to the cost-of-living crisis plus with the housing and rental prices in the city ever increasing. It is making many more vulnerable people in Bristol reach crisis point and requiring our support, and of course Christmas can be a particularly tough time for so many.

“This meant that this year we needed to help more people than ever during our Christmas project and we simply couldn’t have succeeded in doing this without the support of caring organisations like the St Monica Trust. We are incredibly grateful and appreciative of all the support they have provided on the last day of our Big Christmas Dinner providing 200 hot meals to feed those who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to experience this. From all of us here at the charity, we would like to say thank you.”