Written by Nicky Andrews (UK)

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Monday 16^th December 2024 at the Welcome Group Halesowen, and the Christmas party is starting soon! Well before doors should open at 1130, a queue of over 100 winter-coated people is snaking through the foyer and down the external stairs, anticipation building fast.

This line of invited guests are citizens of many troubled nations. Whilst negotiating the UK asylum process, each person has become a client of the Welcome Group, which opens its doors at the OM Centre every Monday.  Over thirty volunteers, most from local churches, absorb their guests’ heartaches and stress, offering care and practical support in Jesus’ name. Friendships have been made; sometimes faith has been found. And in the 16 years since the Group first opened its doors, these dedicated volunteers have got hosting a Christmas party down to a fine art!

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Ready to go?

Project manager Andrew, from OM, runs round the room for a final check of the different ‘stations’ manned by the volunteers, all dressed today in Christmas jumpers or Santa hats. With everything set by 11.20, the doors can open ten minutes early! The guests spill into the room, spreading out round the 20 Christmas-decorated tables, having first collected  tickets at the door; these will entitle them later to buffet foods, and presents carefully hand-picked by the volunteers to suit each family group.

On a normal Monday, the guests would attend either morning or afternoon, served by volunteers also working either shift, joined by a small group from OM in Halesowen. But today everyone and everything is concentrated into a two-hour slot, and the room is soon filled with loud and lively chatter from dozens of conversations.

For Andrew, the volunteers and the OM helpers, it’s taken a lot of organising and a great deal of hard work over the past weeks. And the team is always looking for ways to make things better….

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Buffet improvements

The buffet ‘opens’ at midday. Volunteer Anne oversees trays of food set out on trestle tables – chicken or vegetable samosas, vegetable pakoras, halal chicken skewers, vegetarian sandwiches, all supplied by an outside caterer. Experience has shown that ‘traditional English’ party food often gets left, so this cuisine is more appropriate. Also new this year, Anne and her five colleagues will be calling guests forward in groups (like boarding an aircraft) and serving food to them, meaning a greater chance of fair shares for all.

It all takes a bit of explaining, and clearly some guests would prefer to help themselves, but the ladies stand firm and the new approach works well enough. Late arrivals don’t miss out.

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Santa in action

Whilst the guests are eating at their tables, another special visitor appears from his ‘grotto’ at the back of the room, ready to meet and greet – it’s Father Christmas!( Actually it’s volunteer Mike in a Santa suit borrowed from the local Methodist church.) This is the third or fourth year Mike’s done this. He’s lost a lot of weight since the first time, and thinks he might need cushions up the Santa suit next year to give the right effect. But joking apart, Mike wouldn’t miss this yearly event. 

“I do it to show joy, and Jesus’ love for people with sad and difficult lives, “ he says, eyes misting.

Mike’s also been instrumental in securing a very generous donation from a Catholic charity, which means each client family will receive a £15 supermarket gift voucher today (the third in 2024.) “It’s more secure than giving cash,” he comments, “but people still have freedom how to spend it, and more dignity than just being given a grocery pack.” Mike circulates the room, then returns to his ‘grotto’, ready for mums and kids who are keen to pose there with ‘Father Christmas’.

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Tailor-made gift bags

Next to the ‘grotto’ at the back of the room is a stage. Today it’s covered with 200 large drawstring bags in cheerful fabrics – Christmas presents for the 92 client families! OMers Tracy and Karina have kept a watchful eye over these all morning and now a queue of people is forming to collect them. Head present-organiser Helen gives the nod, and the distribution starts.

Each guest hands their ticket to Helen and her team, and Tracy or Karina locate the bag for that person or family…the bag is opened…smiles erupt! Smiles like 5 year old Donika’s from Albania, hugging her new doll to her chest, or 3 year old Abel from Eritrea, delighted with his building blocks.

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It's all in the detail

Within an hour, every family has their bag, and Helen sits down briefly to rest her aching feet. She describes the huge effort in making all 200 gift bags by hand, each almost as big as a pillowcase. “Our team here made them, and our friends, friends-of-friends and local craft groups also made them, and we reached our target!” laughs Helen.

Then the week before this party, Helen and her team of ladies spent 2 days carefully matching donated toys and gifts to each household by the children’s age and gender, filling and labelling each family’s bags. It’s all been hard work, but worth it to see those smiles!

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The real meaning of today

By 1.30pm, some guests have drifted away. Most of those left are listening while volunteer Anthony takes the mike. He tells how Christmas is all about Jesus, whose coming is news of great joy, and who invites the heavy-laden to find rest in Him. Anthony prays a blessing, and reminds the guests they can ask any volunteer about Jesus. Then OMer Sara leads everyone in a rowdy burst of “We wish you a Merry Christmas!” The guests sing along, laughing and applauding.

By 2pm, the guests have all departed, and the big clear-up starts. Tracy joined OM’s helpers in January 2024. Most weeks she and her husband assist Welcome Group clients with managing their bus passes online. Tracy’s experienced the privilege of being trusted, being a listening ear. She pauses from stacking chairs away to share her heart about today.

“Christmas has a lot of meaning for ‘us’, maybe not for ’them,’” she says. “ Today we’ve showed why we are so joyful! Our care and love for these people is more important than the food and presents. We pray that today’s message about Jesus will be like a seed growing in their hearts. Through our service, may they know that God really is a loving god!”

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