GAVEN – Help at Christmas

GAVEN (THE PRESENT) is a Christmas project based at the Bethany Church in Aalborg, where marginalised families and single parents can apply for help with Christmas presents for their children. It is now running for the seventh year.

The Christmas presents are distributed at an event at the beginning of December, when the families are invited to a day of Christmas fun with a creative workshop, food and a chance to have a family photo taken. Those who take part meet a warm, welcoming community at a time that is often stressful.
The project is run entirely by volunteers, and all support is spent directly on presents and activities on the day when the presents are distributed. The need is increasing year by year, and in 2025 GAVEN is expected to bring happiness to about 425 children from 250 families in Aalborg Municipality.

“Every child deserves a real Christmas present. The grant from the Vissing Foundation enables us to help more families with children who are facing challenges in life, whether it is illness, financial difficulties or other problems that seem overwhelming,” says project coordinator Bjarne Andersen from the Bethany Church in Aalborg.