The Episcopal vicar of Jakarta archdiocese hosted a Christmas lunch organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio in an effort to boost the spirit of community service during the holiday. Jesuit Father Alexius Andang Listya Binawan said the event was part of ongoing efforts to highlight local needs and to cultivate a willingness to serve others. “Since last year, the community has organized such programs in cooperation with interest groups and volunteers,” he said. “So this has become a big thing, which means it encourages us to really help each other, to support each other.” The Christmas lunch was inaugurated in Jakarta in 1996, with only a handful of people attending. That number has steadily grown, with this year’s attendance reaching about 1,000 children and elderly, most of them Muslims, served by 760 volunteers, the priest said. “So this program is more like a greeting to the poor. They are not people to whom we can just distribute boxed rice dishes. Instead, this program has a spirit to serve. Devi Nabila Gaputri Eman, 10, has attended the lunch twice. “I feel so happy to be here,” she said. “I can make friends. I can sing. And the food is good.” Eveline Winarko, a coordinator with Sant’Egidio, said the event does not seek to decrease the number of poor, but rather to serve those who are in need. “Jesus was born into poverty. He was rejected. So we want to show our commitment that we welcome these poor people.” The Christmas holiday, when people spend time with their families, was also an important part of the program’s message, Winarko said. “[The poor] are also our families. That is why we embrace them.” Related Report: Church lay association brings happiness to poor Indonesians