WHILE the rest of Mandurah tears open presents and tucks into Christmas lunch, it will be just another day at work for Arno Reicheld.
As the sous chef at RAAFA’s McNamara Lodge, Mr Reicheld will spend his Christmas in the kitchen preparing a feast to ensure it’s a happy and festive day for the aged care facility’s residents.
Mr Reicheld said it’s no big deal – he’s just doing what he does every day of the year, and he enjoys seeing people enjoying their Christmas.
“It doesn’t matter what day of the year it is, Christmas Day, Easter, Anzac day – people still need to eat and it’s not a drama for me,” he said.
“Residents really look forward to the Christmas meal.
“We’ll be cooking turkey and ham, plum pudding and other sweets so it will be a great meal.
“And I’ll be finishing work by 2pm so then I can spend time with my family celebrating Christmas.”
RAAFA chief executive officer John Murray said it could be a lonely time for some members of the community, so the organisation always puts on a special meal to ensure all its residents enjoy a merry Christmas.
“We have some residents at RAAFA who might not have the opportunity to spend the festive season with family or friends, so we are really grateful to Arno and all our staff who take the time to make someone else’s day special on Christmas,” he said.
“That’s the real spirit of Christmas.”
