On December 6, we gave gifts to people with disabilities in Budapest, and Santa Claus himself graced the food distribution event organized by our office in Eger with his presence to surprise the youngest members of families in need with a little treat. In Pécs, we also brought joy to children in need.
According to tradition, the St. Nicholas Day surprise is actually associated with a Catholic bishop, and it has continued to bring children joy and excitement ever since. The bishop, who has since been canonized, wanted above all to bring joy to children from poor families by distributing gifts, so his actions are in line with our own goals.
Every weekday, the Eger group distributes 300 servings of fresh, hot one-dish meals, along with bread and fruit, to local people in need, families, seniors, and the unemployed. Recipients take their lunch home in food containers so that the family can eat together. By making shared meals possible, this support also plays a role in keeping families together. For many, this is their only meal of the day. In addition to the regular food distribution, which begins every day at 3:00 p.m., Santa Claus also treated the children of the beneficiaries to sweets on this occasion.
In Pécs, as part of the school meal program that has been running for months, volunteers visited 200 children with gift packages on St. Nicholas Day. In this city, we reach out to those most in need in a unique way—teachers identify which students are living in the most difficult circumstances. In keeping with the occasion, the packages contained not only the usual non-perishable food items but also a St. Nicholas gift for each child. Our volunteers once again delivered the food packages to several local schools, including an institution that educates students with disabilities.
People with disabilities in Budapest also received our St. Nicholas Day gifts. In Óbuda, our daily food distributions take place right in the courtyard of the local rehabilitation and vocational training center, so this time, the center’s residents were also able to benefit from our long-standing partnership. People with mild to moderate disabilities who create art and work here each received a generous food package as a gift from St. Nicholas, who visited them. Our foundation contributed to the contents of these packages with food donations, knowing that people in such disadvantaged situations must make ends meet on very small incomes or benefits.
We were delighted that, on this joyful occasion, our organization was able to help bring a little smile to the faces of the people we encounter in our daily work.