Brekkie lifts spirits for Anti-Poverty Week

BACON, eggs and cups of coffee were lined up on Friday for the Rise and Shine Breakfast.

The event was held at The Deck youth venue in Raymond Terrace as part of Anti-Poverty Week.

According to one of the organisers, Debbie Jones from Port Stephens Family and Neighbourhood Centre, the breakfast was an opportunity to bring the community together and celebrate what it does have instead of what it does not.

“There is this idea that Raymond Terrace is a poor community and this is something we are challenging,” she said. “We are asking people to question, what is poverty?”

The breakfast ran from 7am until 9.30am with people from all walks of life stopping in, including school students and mayor Bruce MacKenzie.

“I know how hard it can be being poor, from back in my early days,” Cr MacKenzie said.

“A lot of people fall into poverty through no fault of their own. Events like this remind you to check in and see if you neighbour is struggling. If they are, let them know about all of the agencies and services we have in Port Stephens that will help them out.”

Anti-Poverty week ran from October 12 to 18.