Help at Christmas

Christmas is an extra difficult time for vulnerable families, and not least for their children.

“We are pleased that the Vissing Foundation has once again chosen to support our work for vulnerable children and young people at Christmas. Specifically, the funds are sufficient for help at Christmas for 180 needy families,” says Lars Roskam, a fundraiser for the Salvation Army.

With this Christmas assistance the Salvation Army enables families to have a Christmas like other people’s. They create happy memories that the families can enjoy the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, the families’ economic situation leads many of them to isolate themselves. They do not invite guests; they rarely take part in social events, and the children do not come to leisure activities. They are often struggling with financial problems, or they have problems with abuse, or social or psychiatric problems, which affect the children in the family – and especially at Christmas,” says Lars Roskam.

Even though the children are not responsible for their parents’ situation, it is often the children who are most affected when the family cannot afford Christmas presents.

“The children feel left out at school, and some are bullied or have stomach ache at bedtime. For many poor families Christmas is a time of speculations and worries, because the parents cannot afford to give their children things at Christmas like those their schoolmates will be getting,” says Lars Roskam, who believes all children deserve a happy Christmas.