Food gift vouchers purchased with the funds from the Good Holiday Spirit collection have been delivered to low-income families with children across Finland. More families are facing financial hardship this Christmas and there is a great need for help.
The €70 food vouchers bought with the donations to the Good Holiday Spirit collection have now been distributed, bringing Christmas joy to low-income families with children. The collection, organised by the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare and the Finnish Red Cross in cooperation with Yle, helped 18,000 low-income families around Finland this year.
Poverty among families with children has been a major social problem in Finland for a long time, and is becoming more serious. The financial situation of many families with children has deteriorated considerably over the last couple of years. The effects of inequality are particularly pronounced in the run-up to Christmas, as more and more families in a tight economic situation find it difficult to arrange holiday foods for the Christmas table and gifts for their children.
According to the national food aid survey by the Finnish Red Cross, more people are seeking food aid than ever before, and more than a third of those seeking food aid are now doing so for the first time or have started receiving aid in the last six months. Families with children form a major group of first-time food aid users.
The same observation has also been made based on the food consumption and user numbers at the meeting places of MLL.
The food vouchers for Christmas do not solve the families’ issues, but their meaning for the family is often greater than their monetary value. The voucher offers comfort in a difficult situation and lets the recipient know that someone cares and wants to help.
“The food voucher was so much more than just a sum of money. It was a sign of caring, concern and support. The food voucher we received just before the holidays saved our Christmas,” says one of this year’s recipients.
Food vouchers now distributed for the 28th time
The Good Holiday Spirit collection was organised for the 28th time this year. Over the years, it has helped provide more than 400,000 food vouchers to low-income families with children in Finland.
“We wish to warmly thank all those who participated in the collection and wanted to help families in difficult situations. The vouchers have brought much joy to 18,000 homes. The families have been touched by people’s compassion and willingness to donate,” says MLL Secretary General Milla Kalliomaa.
The Good Holiday Spirit collection is arranged by the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare and the Finnish Red Cross in cooperation with Yle. The partners of the collection are K grocery stores and Lidl Finland. The local associations of MLL and the branches of the Red Cross distributed the vouchers to those in need in cooperation with professionals from, for example, maternity and child health clinics, social services and church social work.
Photo: Ville Salminen / Finnish Red Cross