Hats off to charities spreading the festive cheer

THE Christmas spirit is well and truly alive across Tasmania at the moment. The streets are busy with shoppers grabbing last-minute gifts, the airport full of travellers returning home to join loved ones on Christmas Day, and then others are working hard to bring joy to the lives of the less fortunate.

Thankfully, come Sunday there will be plenty of Christmas cheer and free food for those doing it tough to go around across Hobart.

Charities such as Orange Sky – which offers a free shower and laundry service to those in need – Hobart City Mission, Colony 47 and the Salvation Army will all be helping out by delivering a variety of Christmas Day festivities and functions for those in need.

It’s an amazing job the charities do, welcoming and making people feel like they are part of something on Christmas Day.

For most families, Christmas Day is a time to eat and enjoy each other’s company. For others it’s not.

Many are lonely or simply don’t have the funds to put a good spread on the table.

So from everyone at the Mercury, a big thank you to all who are putting their hands up to volunteer and help out the city’s charities. Going above and beyond to help others is what the Christmas spirit is all about.

The Mercury would also like to take this opportunity to wish all our loyal readers, both in the paper and online, a merry Christmas.

It has been a busy year and the staff at the Mercury have welcomed readers’ input to the many issues that have united and divided Tasmania and Hobart during 2022.

For those of you who are avid paper readers, there will be no Sunday paper this week because of Christmas. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but Mercury journalists will still be working over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, filing stories online to keep the community informed.

The paper will return on Boxing Day.

So once again, from the staff at the Mercury, we hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable festive season.