After 23 years of serving up ham, chicken, salads, lollies, cordial and other yuletide goodies, organisers of the annual free Christmas lunch at Orange Function Centre have been forced to call off this year's event.
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Each year hundreds of locals who might be lonely or struggling financially descend on the function centre for an afternoon of food and company, and a visit from Santa.
More than 100 volunteers sign up each year via organisers Orange Baptist Church to decorate the tables and prepare and serve the food and drinks.
"Because of the government restrictions due to COVID it is not going to be possible to maintain social distancing, including in the preparation of the food," said one of the organisers Garry McMahon.
Mr McMahon said planning for the lunch usually begins in February, and that by July "we were well underway with sourcing product and other preparations".
The church had held off for as long as possible before making a decision in September.
The only way to have attempted a lunch would have been to double the number of volunteers and spread the work across two shifts, or ask people to work a double shift.
"It would have been very difficult," Mr McMahon said.
"After 23 years it is a shame, but we do plan to hold it in 2021. We're obviously concerned that there are people who have nowhere else to go, and we feel for them, but there is not a lot we can do about it.
"If anyone is really in need they can contact us and we would look at it on a case-by-case basis."
Following changes announced by the Berejiklian government last week, the church held its first service since August without strongly encouraging parishioners and some members of the ministry to don a mask throughout the service.
After 23 years it is a shame, but we do plan to hold it in 2021.
- Garry McMahon
"We've been meeting since second week of August very successfully," Mr McMahon said.
"Prior to COVID we used to have a large gathering of a couple of hundred people for one service on a Sunday, but now we've gone to three services - morning, afternoon and online at 7pm.
"If people have symptoms we've asked them not to come."
Mr McMahon said that not many parishioners were wearing masks at services on Sunday.
"I think people were glad to have a Sunday where they didn't have to wear a mask."
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