Covid restrictions have hit the communal Christmas lunches throughout the country with all of the main events cancelled. Wellington City Mission has long delivered hampers to those who need them on Christmas eve but in Dunedin, the Act of Kindness Charity lays on a meal for about 500 with 150 volunteers at the town hall and the Christchurch Mission usually has a sit-down Christmas lunch but neither of those are going ahead this year. Auckland City Mission has also cancelled their annual sit-down lunch but those who would normally attend are now invited to pne of two Nando's locations to pick up a takeaway. Helen Robinson is the Auckland City Missioner.
Christchurch's City Mission Christmas lunch turnout had less people than expected, after rain poured down. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
