Growing up in a poor family, chef Hanna Gullichsen felt it embarrassing to ask for help when she was young. To erase the taboo nature of poverty, she would want there to be more open talk about money – and the lack thereof. Chef and cookbook writer Hanna Gullichsen’s memories of childhood are both fantastically … Read more

Johanna Türkmen stayed at home to look after her son Rasmus even though it meant that the single parent’s income would plummet. The Good Holiday Spirit food voucher was a welcome addition to the low-income family’s Christmas. Johanna Türkmen pulls the first batch of gingerbread biscuits of the year from the oven and puts it … Read more

In Finland, poverty affects about 110,000 children. Childhood poverty will affect young people’s transition into independence and have consequences manifesting during their adulthood. The Good Holiday Spirit collection by the Finnish Red Cross and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare for impoverished families with children will be launched on 22 November. The collected funds will … Read more

Singer Waltteri Torikka will perform at the opening ceremony for the Good Holiday Spirit collection at Helsinki Central Station on Thursday morning. He is looking forward to the performance, albeit as an opera singer he is not used to warming up his voice before 7 in the morning. – For me, this is all about … Read more

Ville Mustonen from Järvenpää, a small town close to the Finnish capital, Helsinki, received a Hyvä Joulumieli (Christmas Spirit) gift card in 2016. His children had moved in to live with him just a few months before Christmas, which meant that he had needed to make some changes, including giving up his job. Ville, who … Read more