Good question, Eco! That's always a concern. First, the staff needs a break on occasion and the Kitchen needs a good cleaning now and then. Our last meal before Christmas break is a big deal We serve a nice special meal, each family gets a substantial bag of food (a chicken, rice, peas, oil, mackerel, sardine, bully beef, flour, sugar and so on). Santa comes with presents for all the children. It's a blessed and fun day. The main reason for closing is that many folks come to town to visit relatives for the holidays and the numbers at the Kitchen swell. Many we do not know and there tends to be problems at such times. The programme is expensive, of course, and this gives us a little break to catch our financial breath as well. Bottom line, we know that folks survived before the Kitchen and will survive when we are closed. --Fadder Jim