550 people will attend the annual Caritas Christmas dinner for people going through difficult situations and those who would otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone.
In a statement, Caritas Malta said that the final preparations for the meal on Christmas Day are currently underway at the Archbishop's Curia in Floriana.
This will be the first time after two years due to the pandemic where Caritas is once again organizing the Christmas dinner.
During a news conference at the Archbishop's Curia, the Episcopal Vicar for Diaconia Charles Cordina said that the dinner is held at the Curia where most of the work and administration of the Archdiocese takes place.
Cordina said that it was Archbishop Charles Scicluna's wish that the meal be held again after a break of two years.
"The Church will always remain at the forefront to help people in need, and continues to strengthen its various services to continue reaching the poor," he said.
He said that the Curia turns into a large restaurant where it welcomes the poor and those who are going through a lot of suffering.
Those who cannot leave their home and are alone will have a meal or a gift delivered through the work of the Diaconia in the parishes. Food in the parishes is distributed by the volunteers, not only at Christmas, but also throughout the year.
Director of Caritas Anthony Gatt said that a recent study showed that more than 54% of Maltese society went through a period of loneliness. He said that because this percentage continues to grow, Caritas started a campaign last December so that no one feels alone.
Gatt thanked the Alfred Mizzi Foundation who will prepare food for this occasion, and the Office of the President that prepared 700 traditional Christmas sweets to be distributed on Christmas Day. He also thanked the St Peter's Foundation for their help with the logistics.
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation along with several chefs, will prepare 550 meals for the Curia and around 300 meals to be distributed in homes.
The Christmas Dinner, organized by Caritas Malta, has been held since 2015 and in the two years where it did not organize the dinner due to Covid restrictions, food was still distributed. Around 200 volunteers will help organize the Christmas dinner and the distribution of food in homes.