Make a Meal of it (Livability)

A new faith based coalition called ‘Christians Together Against Loneliness’ has created a new resource  called ‘Make a Meal of It’ to help churches run meals that create community connections. In recent years, community meals have grown in popularity. Events such as ‘The Big Lunch’ or ‘The Great Get Together’ have provided new opportunities to make contact with people- offering opportunities for new contacts and friendships.

This new resource – ‘Make A Meal of It‘ – has a particular focus on mobilising churches to connect with older people on the margins. The pack contains advice for every stage of the process- ideas on how to plan the meal, who to involve, how to connect, creative ideas on the day, and ideas for follow up.

‘Make a Meal of It’ offers a fresh take on the community meal by challenging churches to plan to build relationships on an ongoing basis and avoid offering just a ‘one-off’ event. For many elderly people, who are battling with isolation, creating connections takes time, trust and confidence. ‘Make A Meal Of It’ is focused on a longer term view in befriending and providing support.