Christmas aid for 500 families in Herning
On Saturday, 500 families received Christmas aid packages with food and gifts for children in Åbenkirke in Herning. Coordinator Oli Samara Schultz calls it an overwhelming and touching day.
A quarter of FrikirkenET's 77 member churches are involved in handing out Christmas help this year. One of them is? Benkirke in Herning, which on Saturday handed out Christmas relief packages with food and gifts to 500 families.
- It was an overwhelming day, tells Oli Samara Schultz, coordinator of? Benchurchs Christmas Aid.
- We have been handing out Christmas help since 2010, and every year it strikes me how touching a day it is. In the days leading up to the awards, we've been so focused on getting done that it's filled everything. You've worked hard, it's been hard — a lot of work, but suddenly you see the joy in people's faces and then you think: It's worth it, we'll do it again next year -- that's 100 percent sure.
Isn't there some fun this year?
When the church dispenses the aid to the recipients, there is also a short program with, among other things, a magic show, creative narration of the Christmas Gospel and a light serving. And that's something that's popular,” Oli Samara Schultz tells us.
- Last week we sent a short text message to those who were supposed to receive Christmas help. Soon after, one of them called our office and said: I got this text saying I can pick up a box -- but isn't there any fun this year? Can't I get a ticket to the show too? Others have asked if they were allowed to come and see the show, even if they weren't supposed to pick up a box.
The 500 Christmas aid packages were distributed in three rounds, covering each time up to 330 people in the church hall of? bone church. In addition, 50 volunteers per round were busy serving, making entertainment, handing out Christmas packages and more. Oli Samara Schultz is also unpaid, although she puts many hours into the Christmas help.
- You make time for what you would like to have time for, and this energizes me. We all have major or minor ups and downs in life, but I feel that if, instead of tinkering with my own belly button, I direct my attention to others who have it harder than me, it gives me energy,” she explains.
- On Saturday I spoke to a mother who only had 700 kronor for the rest of the month, and when her children asked for Christmas gifts, she had to answer that they could not afford it. She had expected us to get a package of food, so when she saw that there were also gifts for the children, tears trickled down her cheeks as she said: They will get gifts this year.. That kind of thing makes me have no doubt that it's worth it all.
Getting started again in January
? benkirke in Herning collaborates among others with the municipality, local companies and upper secondary education for the Christmas help. Pupils from the city's upper secondary schools buy Christmas gifts for children under 12, and this year Lego also sponsored a number of boxes, and Bilka gave nice discounts on family games worth 200-300 kronor, so that it was possible to buy a total of 300 games for 15,000 kronor that a sponsor had donated to the Christmas charity. Total handed out? benkirke more than 1,000 Christmas gifts for children.
Although the distribution of Christmas aid has ended for this time, less than a month passes before volunteers are back up and running. On January 10, they will meet to evaluate this year's efforts, and then otherwise they will get back to business.
- To begin with, we are riding a wave of excitement from the handout just passed. But sometimes it can get a little heavy when we get to April, May and the summer months. Then I usually look at videos or pictures from previous years' handouts, and when I see the joy on people's faces, I get renewed energy,” says Oli Samara Schultz.
3,000 parcels of Christmas aid from free churches - with more
In total, the above-mentioned quarter of FriKirkenET's member churches hand out almost 2,500 packages of Christmas food to a family — often there are also like at? benkirke gifts for the children included in the package. In addition, a few churches are handing out used clothes and toys for parents to give to their children as a Christmas present — about 500 children will enjoy this Christmas.
All churches distribute Christmas aid in cooperation with other actors — be they municipalities, NGOs, associations, gospel choirs, educational institutions, companies or the media.
JL
Photos:? Benkirche
Video: Christoffer Fryd/Morten Gram