The Christmas season isn't always the happiest of occasions due to loneliness, and Sunset Palliative Care in Portage la Prairie understands. Volunteer coordinator Aldene Moroz says they held their Christmas Dinner of Hope last night after it was postponed Tuesday due to the blizzard.

"The Christmas 

Aldene MorozDinner of Hope is to bring people together who have lost a loved one. A lot of the people here tonight have been coming for a number of years as well as some new people. Sometimes it's a friend of a friend that brings someone who knows they're going through a hard time as well. That's how the dinner evolved."

About 70 people attended, and Moroz says a ceremony's part of the get-together, with five candles that are lit to represent grief, courage, memories, love, and hope. She notes each person then lights a candle at their table in memory of a loved one.

Moroz says games and door prizes are part of the companionship everyone enjoys in this pre-Christmas setting. Donations are welcomed, but the dinner is free, so everyone can attend. She notes the PCRC gave a grant to the service this year to help cut costs for the dinner. Mil-Jeanne Flowers and Axcenz also helped out with the arrangements on the tables.

Trish Garrioch says the dinner means a lot to her.

"It's getting out and being with people who've gone through the same type of tragedy in some way. My sister was only 54 when she passed away. We had some palliative care help. Some of the ladies that are here tonight actually came and visited with my sister when she was in the hospital, and even at home."

Trish GarriochShe says some come out and share a story with others who've gone through similar experiences. Garrioch says Christmas is a hard time for many people. She recounts the time she attended a palliative care group at Island Park about six years ago with about a dozen participants. She says she was the youngest and was the only one there for a sister, while the other women were there for a lost husband. She adds a lot of those women were present last night.