'No one in our town should feel forgotten'

AT a time when financial pressure, isolation and social hardship continue to rise across West Tyrone, Omagh Community Church is preparing to take on one of the most pressing issues of the festive season: the growing number of people who face Christmas Day completely alone.

The church has announced its 12th Annual Community Christmas Dinner, a free event designed to offer refuge, companionship and a full Christmas meal to anyone with nowhere else to go on December 25.

The dinner, held at the Old Marketplace, will run from 12.30pm to 5pm.

Pastor Tim Shiels, who has overseen the event from its inception, says the situation is more urgent than ever, with demand increasing each year.

“Christmas is painted as a joyful time, but for many people it’s the most painful day of the year,” he said. “Loneliness, emotional hardship, financial stress, food poverty - these are realities in our town that we cannot ignore.”

He added that the church is now working closely with multiple agencies who are referring vulnerable individuals with nowhere else to turn.

The event attracts people from all walks of life - young adults with no family nearby, older residents seeking company, families looking for a different kind of Christmas, and volunteers who simply want to help make the day special.

“We’ve people in their 90s, an 18-year-old who came last year and is returning again, and many who just don’t want to spend the day alone for their own reasons,” Pastor Shiels said. “Whoever you are, you’ll find a place.”