Families in Ireland are appealing to loved ones who may have left Ireland some years ago and never made contact since to call home this Christmas.

Through a new organization called Missing in Ireland Support Service (MISS), families are pleading with those who "went missing on purpose" to come forward and inform those at home in Ireland that they are alive.

"A message from this person could be the best present that a family can get. A phone call, card or even a short note to say that you are alive and well will bring much-needed joy this Christmas," said Dermot Browne, a Co. Westmeath MISS volunteer.

In June 2003 Browne's eldest son Derek went missing.

"Like many families before and since, we were thrown on our own resources in our efforts to trace him. During the 13 weeks before he was found I experienced first hand the total lack of information, assistance and support available in Ireland," said Browne.

When Derek was eventually located and laid to rest, Browne and MISS co-coordinator, Tosh Lavery, from Co. Waterford, undertook to try and fill the gap. Having established contact with other families in a similar situation, MISS came into being.

According to Lavery, it's not uncommon for people over the years to have disappeared from homes in Ireland, traveling to the U.S. to make a new life for themselves.

Browne and Lavery are confident a great number of the missing are living healthy lives in the U.S. and have just forgotten about their previous life at home.

"This Christmas many families will have an empty space at the dinner table due to the absence of a loved one who has simply disappeared from their world," said Browne.

Tosh, who was a member of the Garda (Irish police) diving unit for 30 years, told the Irish Voice, that it is especially heartbreaking for families this time of the year to not know the whereabouts of loved ones.

"This Christmas we are appealing to people who may have left Ireland for one reason or another maybe last year and maybe 40 years ago to make contact with their family or with us to give peace of mind to people this Christmas."

Currently MISS has 23 trained volunteers who are always on duty to take calls from those who would like to come forward and families of those who have a loved one missing.

Although the organization is officially only up and running for four weeks, Lavery and Browne have been working with others for the past year on a voluntary basis to provide support to families who are seeking the whereabouts of a sibling, child, parent or relation.

"Even if someone comes forward with information about seeing a person or knowing that they are alive will bring a lot of comfort to a family this Christmas," he said.

Lavery explains that more than 8,000 people are listed as missing from Ireland. "A lot of those people would still be alive out there somewhere," said Lavery.

If you wish to contact the helpline you may do so through email at [email protected], or call 011-353-87-770 8112, or contact April Drew at the Irish Voice at 212-684-3366, ext. 116 or email [email protected].