Cairns calls on its many cultures during Harmony Week
By CLIFF WORTHING
Cairns Corps in Far North Queensland mobilised its many cultures to host multiple Harmony Week events from 20-26 March.
“We are living multiculturalism in our corps and community,” said Alison Geno, Inter-cultural Ministry Worker at Cairns Corps. “We are caring together, embracing diversity and bringing people together.”
The corps supported refugee activities the week before Harmony Week, a community group event at The Villas, a local caravan park on Harmony Day, and then the corps-hosted event at Cairns Family Store.
At the Family Store event, the corps provided over 200 meals, free coffee from the Salvos coffee van, a retail sale and a cake-cutting ceremony featuring the many different cultures represented.
“There was lots of dancing, singing, music and a lot of yarning,” Alison said. “We were cooking up a storm in the midst of a week of storms, rain and mud, but we don’t stop for rain!”
The ubiquitous Salvos sausage sizzle still enjoyed a prominent place amongst dozens of other cultural dishes during Harmony Week activities in Cairns.
“We had so much lovely multicultural food from our corps members and volunteers, but people still like their sausage sandwich,” Alison said. “Not that they didn’t love our feast of cultural dishes!”
A scripture Alison used at every opportunity during the week’s activities was: “Live happily together in a spirit of harmony and be as mindful of another’s worth as you are your own” (Romans 12:16, TPT).
“We are so on board doing our bit,” Alison said. “You’ve got to be visible, get dirty, and follow through for others.”
