In the heart of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, a country deeply scarred by crises, the project ‘Celebrating Christmas Above All’, led by Sister Rita El Khoury at the end of 2024, brought light and warmth back into the lives of hundreds of forgotten people! 

This project was not just about distributing aid: it was about reaching out, restoring dignity and sharing Christmas.

This Christmas of solidarity began on Saint Barbara's Day, 4 December. It came to life with the purchase of gifts, decorations and the preparation of food parcels. 

The team of sisters and volunteers then made numerous visits to their neighbourhood to provide material and moral support to families. Night-time street outreach (‘Daw El Leil’) was organised for displaced people from the south and the most vulnerable, with the team from the Missionaries of Charity.

The delighted elderly people prepared for the celebration, some ‘as if for a wedding,’ rediscovering their self-esteem and joie de vivre. They were surrounded by others thanks to shared meals. A distribution of meat, a rare and expensive commodity, was made possible thanks to donations from benefactors. 

Finally, a children's party brought this series of events to a wonderful close, with shows, games, a fancy dress competition, toys, singing, dancing... and lots of smiles! 

"Behind everything we do is helping them work on their personalities, so that they gain self-confidence, stimulate their creativity, and learn to give and share! And most importantly, it's about providing them with a pleasant atmosphere to give them the feeling that they are no different from others, even if their financial situation is difficult..."  Sr Rita

A child from the Maternal and Child Protection Centre confides: "It was the first time in my life that I had been to a show like that. Thanks to you, I felt like I was just like the other children."

There were many direct and indirect beneficiaries of this project:

·       80 children from the neighbourhood celebrated Saint Barbara's Day and Christmas.

·       100 elderly people were visited or invited to a Christmas meal.

·       Homeless children and adults were met during the ‘Daw El Leil’ street rounds. 

·       53 people (14 refugee families)

·       150 families received meat.

Beyond these figures, the project truly offered a welcome respite for everyone, given the significant challenges of daily life.

"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your invaluable support and for your wonderful spirit of service, which deeply embodies the spirituality of Saint Vincent de Paul: seeing Christ in the faces of the poorest and responding with love and efficiency. 
You have brought joy and comfort, and have made children, families and elderly people feel loved and respected. Your generosity has made a real difference, and together we have been able to spread the spirit of Christmas to those who needed it most." Sr Rita