As Christmas approaches and the season changes, the weather gets colder, scarves and hats are retrieved from the bottom of drawers, and families start to gather presents for their loved ones. But what if you can't afford presents ?
All around the world charities spread love and joy by aiding families who cannot afford to pay for Christmas. There are children in hospitals fighting for their lives. There are children outside living in the cold. There are children who cannot remember their own homes. In London, the charity, Nepomak, sends presents all the way to Cyprus to help give disadvantaged children some light at Christmas.
A week ago, the charity visited the Greek Community School at St Cyprian’s to collect all the wonderful shoe boxes we had created for them. There were heaps of them piled one on top of another, so tall the little ones had to be given a helping hand when placing theirs on the mountain of gifts. It was heartwarming to see how much the children valued a simple shoe box filled with toys and essentials. None of us could imagine what the faces of the children receiving them would look like, but we hoped they would be overjoyed with the thought that their Cypriot compatriots care for them. By giving us the opportunity to show kindness to those less fortunate, the Headmistress, Antonia Kastelanides, and Nepomak, have enriched all our lives.
Every year, volunteers share the Christmas spirit and fill children’s hearts with happiness; in exchange, their actions make them feel like they have done something good. There are many other charities that help those in need during Christmas; they all remind us of our morals and how Christmas can bring people together through kindness.
Antonia Edgington
