Here at Topics, we've been on the hunt for the spirit of Christmas and we might just have found it.
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Peter Martine dresses up as Santa every year out the front of his place at Adamstown.
His sister Karin told Topics that he "brings so much joy to so many people by doing this kind act".
"He sits there while parents take their children's photos," she said.
Peter worked for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service for 26 years as a crewman. He is also a life member and volunteer at Cooks Hill Surf Club.
"He is a wonderful human being and the world is a much better place for having him in it," Karin said.
The Blues
Lifeline has produced some T-shirts for the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
They carry the slogan: "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Even Cowboys Get the Blues", which is very clever.
The T-shirts are $39 each, the cost of answering a crisis call to help someone in need.
Each T-shirt bought could literally save a life. They will be sold Australia-wide and at the music festival in January.
Check out Lifeline merchandise at lifeline.theprintbar.com.
'We're here to listen'
The spirit of Christmas is about being around your loved ones and helping those in need, like people feeling lonely.
Lifeline Hunter volunteer crisis supporters will be taking calls to the 13 11 14 service over the festive season from people in crisis or just needing to talk.
Lifeline Hunter CEO Rob Sams urged people to call if they're feeling lonely this Christmas.
"We're here to listen 24/7," Rob said.
Ed Macindoe has been a volunteer crisis supporter for 30 years.
He is Lifeline Hunter's longest serving crisis supporter. He does a four-hour shift every fortnight, but spent the first 10 years doing an overnight shift.
The 68-year-old Mt Vincent resident and member of Kurri Baptist Church was encouraged by his wife and a church minister to become a crisis supporter.
Asked why he had volunteered for so long, he said "what we do is important for so many people".
He said being a crisis supporter has helped him, too. It made him less selfish and a better listener. It challenges his perceptions and beliefs.
"I have a wider perspective on life and better understanding of people from all sorts of backgrounds.
"There is always something new that you haven't dealt with before. While we may face similar issues, the circumstances are always different for each caller. I learn something from the callers, even in their times of crisis.
"Being a crisis supporter makes me thankful for my life and the support I have from others."
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