Irrespective of our religion or how we feel about the commercialization of Christmas, we must accept that the celebrations introduce wonder and magic to the lives of children meaning that it is a time at which the disadvantage suffered by many youngsters is poignantly felt.
For a second year, we did everything we could to provide some of this magic to the vulnerable children we work with helped by of all our friends, partners and the generosity of the people of Ruse. This year, children, employees, foster and adoptive parents, students and friends of our organisation worked hard for more than a month to provide a stock of over 600 unique objects in a tsunamai of creativity – cards, souvenirs, candlesticks and table decorations and knitwear. We would like to thank them for donating their labour and special thanks to those who also provided their own materials.
This year’s campaign raised over 1125 leva (577 Euro). We provided a Christmas party and gift bags at the complex for more than sixty children, a party and presents for the eight disabled residents of the Pink House and distributed thirty gift bags to socially disadvantaged children in the nearby village of Dryanovets during the Christmas village show. Selections of treats were bought with the fundraised money while books, magazines and felt tip pens had been donated by generous benefactors.
The money raised will help fund activities at the Complex and outings for over 70 children during 2012. We would like to say a big thank you to all those who made donations or bought our hand-made crafts sold at the Christmas village in the city square and Mall Rouse. We must thank Plamen Stoilov, the city mayor, for providing us with a free hut and for his kind words of support of the campaign. In addition, this is not the first time we have benefited from the cooperation and kindness of the management at Mall Rouse. Again, a very big Thank you.
We have already embarked on our next campaign but it stays a secret until later.
