'Nobody deserves to be alone': Penticton family opens their doors for Christmas

Ashley Fagan and her family don't want anyone to feel alone this Christmas.

The Penticton, B.C. mom posted on a local Facebook group for the South Okanagan city that she and her family will welcome "with open arms" anyone in the community who wants to come to their home on Dec. 25 for a meal, and a "lovely Christmas environment with love and music."

"I want to be able to give everybody a nice warm meal and some company with our friends," said Fagan, who is married with two kids.

"Nobody deserves to be alone on Christmas, nobody. We'd like to cook for somebody — anybody that needs it."

So far, she is expecting 15 people to arrive at her Christmas open house between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., a number that could rise.

Fagan says anyone is welcome: people who don't have families to celebrate with, single mothers or fathers and their kids, seniors or just anyone who is feeling lonely.

All they have to do is send her a Facebook message or respond to the post she made in the private Facebook group for people who live in Penticton.

Sharing what they have

Fagan invited people to her home because she knows what it's like to be in difficult situations and to feel lonely, she told Daybreak South's Christine Coulter.

"I don't have my real mother and I don't have my real father, you know we've gone through a lot of heartache in our life. So, we're just thankful for what we have today," said Fagan, who said her family is not well off financially.

"We might have little, but we have no problem sharing it."

Since making the post, others in the community have offered to chip in. One woman delivered a turkey and another bought five Tim Hortons gift cards for Fagan to give out to guests.

Spreading cheer

Some people have questioned the safety of Fagan opening her home to strangers, but she isn't concerned.

"If they were to steal my kids' toys that would be a little low, but I'm pretty sure nobody's going to be coming just to take the toys," she said.

Fagan and her family have already started spreading holidays cheer by handing out cookies and cards to everyone on their block this past week.

"Everybody needs love this time of year," she said. "In a world full of hate...share the love, not the hate."