Community spirit and food are keeping friends and families warm as kind-hearted souls open up their homes and hearts to evacuees and those in need across the kingdom.

GDN Media’s sales director Alison Lillywhite is hosting 11 people who reached out in a moment of need, after Iranian strikes shook the kingdom this week.

While the sentiment can sometimes be sombre, Alison and her family are making the most of the situation, and trying to keep the atmosphere light and fun as people buckle in to survive and thrive together.

“To be honest, it’s nice to have more people here, as it keeps us busy – even the cooking alone – we are hardly done with breakfast and we have to start planning for lunch and dinner,” she told GulfWeekly.

“On the first day, we cooked 21 scrambled eggs, and then kheema for lunch. And since people were working from home during the first few days, it has been quite lively as everyone found their own corner of the house from which to make their zoom calls.

“One of our family friends’ partner was even conducting music classes so there isn’t a dull moment.”

At Alison’s place, everyone has pitched in with cooking, grocery shopping, clean-up and other chores, sharing stories and adventures as they bonded over sirens and echoes of intercepted missiles in the sky.

The unexpected coming together of friends and family during this time also gave them an opportunity to get to know one another over board games and spur-of-the-moment late night deep conversations.

While getting used to culinary preferences like vegetarianism and a no-shellfish diet took some adapting, Alison, her husband Peter and daughters Hana and Alya have taken it in stride and even learned to prepare new dishes.

Even their cat Lilly, while initially restless, has gotten used to the bustle of the expanded household, though she does get irritated at times when her favourite sleeping spots are taken over by the new guests.

Meanwhile, in Saar, 49-year-old Juffair resident Simran Waghnani is staying at her friend Manisha Panchisia’s home, while the latter is out of the country.

Along with 34 others, ranging in age from one to 86, the long-time resident of Bahrain is also glad to have her community with her during these trying times.

“When the strikes started and hit Juffair, we were distraught at first, and I reached out to my friend Anupam Kinger, who connected me with Manisha Panchisia who opened up her home in Saar for all of us,” Simran added.

“Although she is in Denmark and still trying to make it back to Bahrain because of the closed airspace, she was very kind.

“We have been making the best of it - most of us got through Covid-19 together so our community is close-knit.

“Fortunately, there is a supermarket nearby, and we have been getting food from there. People come and go - some stay for multiple days, and some just for a few hours.”