Winter holidays can be far from the most magical time of the year for those in need. Quite the opposite, they can be a reminder of the things they cannot afford, or presents they will not be able to give or receive.
But as the seasonal period again comes around, local charities will be trying to change that.
A number of organizations help ill or orphaned children, the homeless and elderly people. They prepare presents, financial aid and entertainment for those in need, as the Christmas and New Year season is approaching.
Those who want to contribute to bringing the holiday mood to the hearts of the fortuneless can join in by donating money, buying gifts and volunteering.
Tabletochki
Unlike their peers, many children diagnosed with cancer won’t be able to spend winter holidays at home – decorating a Christmas Tree, wrapping up presents and making a snowman. They will have to continue their treatment in hospital wards.
Ukraine’s biggest fund helping children with cancer, Tabletochki (Pills), encourages people to donate unconventional Christmas presents for them – they are not toys or books, but medicine and things that will make the stay in hospital more comfortable.
The fund created a list of such gifts and the amount of money that they require, that ranges from Hr 90 to Hr 226,000. The list includes various medicines, plane tickets for treatment abroad, apartment rentals for families near the hospital, and even psychological help for parents who lost their child in the battle with cancer. The fund emphasizes that such gifts will contribute to children’s recovery so that they can enjoy the next winter holidays at home, with their families and no painful treatment.
Tabletochki. Donate at www.shop.tabletochki.org
Secret Santa
Companies and friend circles play Secret Santa to make the gift exchange process more entertaining. The NGO called Youth for Peace uses the game to encourage people to donate to those in need.
Those who want to participate have to register online. Then they receive information about a person they will be helping – homeless or poor people, orphans or elderly that live in nursing homes.
Their short bio, which, however, does not include any personal information, is accompanied by a wish list of presents. They are often nothing like festive gifts, but rather basic goods people need in their everyday life.
One of the elderly women from one of Kyiv’s nursing homes, for instance, would like to get a warm blanket, a bath towel, a cup, hygiene products, perfume, tea, coffee or some sweets. Her description says that she is always happy to have visitors and eager to share advice.
The participants buy any of the presents from the list, send them or bring to the NGO’s office. The members of Youth for Peace will give out the presents on one of Ukraine’s Christmas days on Dec. 25, Jan. 6 or Jan. 7.
Those who don’t have time for picking gifts can still support the organization by paying for the festive dinner of one of the people they take care of, which requires donating Hr 175.
Secret Santa by Youth for Peace. Register for both Secret Santa and donations at www.peaceblog.co
St. Nicholas Dears
This initiative believes that adults crave miracles as much as kids, however, for them it means becoming Santa’s helpers and making kids’ wishes come true. This year, St. Nicholas Dears collected letters to Santa from children that live near the front line in Eastern Ukraine.
Affected by Russia’s war, kids in Donbas might crave the season’s warm atmosphere more than others. Those who want to take part can pick present options from the organization’s database and send or bring them to the Kharkiv-based office of the initiative.
Other options of helping the St. Nicholas Dears include making a donation that will be used for gift purchases, packing them, providing a car ride for volunteers to Donbas and giving out presents to children.
St. Nicholas Dears. Follow the instruction at www.facebook.com/OlenySviatogoMikolaya
The volunteers of the Zhyttelub fund give out food packages to elderly and homeless people during the winter holiday season in January 2018 in Kyiv.
Lifelover
Zhyttelub (Lifelover) charity fund has been there for six years and it has changed some of the elderly people’s lives drastically. It offers all kinds of activities for them from movie screenings and dance classes to work opportunities and social media management courses.
The fund is also known for its long-lasting project called Obed bez Bed (Lunch without Misery) when their volunteers give out hot food to the elderly and homeless every day in 13 points around Kyiv.
During the holiday season, the fund wants to provide them with food packages for celebrations, which would cost Hr 190 each. Zhyttelub wants to raise Hr 320,000 to make sure that 1,700 people in need have some goodies on their holiday tables. The fund offers those who want to help to either donate money or volunteer at their lunch spots by giving out food.
Lifelover. Donate and register to volunteer at www.happyold.com.ua
Your Support
Local NGO Tvoya Opora (Your Support) has been helping sick and orphaned children since 2013. This year, they teamed up with Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest private delivery company, to reach an ambitious goal of providing 2,000 orphaned children with a present for the New Year. The organization has collected the wishes of kids that live in over 20 orphanages all over Ukraine.
Those who want to participate can pick a child or several of them from the list online. They will then receive an instruction from Your Support on how to proceed. Meanwhile, Nova Poshta will deliver all the gifts for free.
Your Support. Register at tvoya-opora.org
Charity Musical
Musicals in English are a rare offering in Kyiv. But the performance of “Saving the Christmas Magic” is worth visiting not only because of that. It is also for a good cause.
Written for and performed by children, the musical brings an original story to the stage. The performance will be followed by a fair, where visitors will be able to buy ceramics and paintings made by children.
The private English-speaking Atlantic School and Playroom Kids Club kindergarten that staged the musical aim to raise money for children with disabilities. They also want to allocate funds to renovate a greenhouse at one of Kyiv’s orphanages.
Charity Musical. Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theater for Children and Youth. 2 Mezhyhirska St. Dec. 7. 6 p.m. Hr 150
