The Covid-19 pandemic has made it harder for Caritas to help those suffering from loneliness on Christmas Day, but the NGO is doing what it can, Caritas Director Anthony Gatt told The Malta Independent.

While Christmas is often seen as a time to spend with family and friends, there are those among us who are unable to, who have nobody to spend the holiday with. Every year, Caritas tries to help those who would be spending Christmas Day on their own.

“The pain of loneliness is amplified on Christmas Day,” Caritas Director Anthony Gatt told The Malta Independent.

Pre-Covid-19, Caritas would organise a meal at the Curia in Floriana on Christmas Day for those people who have nobody to spend the holiday with. Live music, a sense of community and volunteers would be present, sparking up conversations and making the day enjoyable.

Caritas would also use the opportunity to help identify those who need more support, and get in contact with them after the event, providing any assistance they need such as through support groups. Due to the pandemic, Caritas has had to modify its approach.

It will deliver around 800 meals on Christmas Day to the homes of such people, but also to people who are materially deprived and those who, for a number of reasons including ill-health, would be unable to prepare a Christmas meal for their family. It had also done this last year.

“We have 120 volunteers who will distribute the meals between 12pm and 1pm on Christmas Day,” Gatt said. The meals are provided by the Alf Mizzi Foundation, prepared by Vecchia Napoli and consist of Mqarrun as a starter, turkey with roast potatoes and vegetables as a main course, and Panettone as a dessert, he said.

 “We also have another team of volunteers who will deliver a gift, consisting of some sweets prepared by the Office of the President, to those suffering from loneliness.”

In addition to this, between 11am and 1pm, a group of volunteers will man phone lines at the Caritas Head Office to take calls and make calls to a list of people they have who suffer from loneliness, in order to interact and provide some company, albeit not in person, on Christmas Day.

Gatt mentioned some examples of people who Caritas wants to help. “I remember a couple in their 50s where the wife had been a housewife all her life and the husband fell ill, unable to continue working. Another person who comes to mind is an elderly woman who had no relatives and no children.”

While Covid has been disruptive, “our aim remains the same as that before the pandemic, to support those who feel alone, and to also help families with material difficulties. The social aspect is difficult to replicate when delivering the food. When we organised these Christmas lunches at the Curia, we had music, a community feel and atmosphere, volunteers to sit down with our guests. I remember an elderly mother and her adult daughter who came instead of spending the day alone at home. I remember a middle-aged man who was alone and, for a few years wanted to attend but felt shy until he finally did. They enjoyed themselves.”

The volunteers delivering the food and gifts will not be entering people’s houses, he said, but they can still have a short conversation while outside. “Sometimes just having someone ring the bell can make a difference,” Gatt said.

If someone reaches out or is identified as needing further support, Caritas would contact them after Christmas and see what services could be provided, Gatt added.

He took the opportunity to thank all the volunteers in advance, as well as the Parish priests and others.

Given the isolation the pandemic has brought about, Gatt urged people to get in touch with their relatives over Christmas, to help alleviate the loneliness that some could feel, and to call up their neighbours if they know they have nobody to spend time with them.

People eligible who would like to receive the Christmas meal are invited to call Caritas Malta on 22199000