Suggested donation: $25 per sponsored child
The simple, powerful joy of Christmas
In a world where it can be tempting to despair, we believe the simple joy of receiving a personalized Christmas card and gift is a powerful and tangible reminder of God’s love and the Good News that Jesus is God with us.
As the past couple of years have uniquely impacted the communities where we serve, the joy that a Christmas gift paired with words of encouragement from their sponsor brings is a beacon of hope to a child living in poverty, reminding them they are known, loved and connected through it all.
Help us spread joy this Christmas by giving to the Christmas Gift Fund and sending a Christmas card to the child you sponsor. Send yours before October 31 to help ensure gifts and cards are delivered by Christmas.
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How does the Christmas Gift Fund work?
When you give to Compassion’s Christmas Gift Fund, you equip our local church partners to give a personalized Christmas gift to every child in Compassion’s programs around the world.
Depending on the current realities related to the pandemic in each country and community, Christmas gifts will be delivered in one of three ways:
Where it is safe to do so, children and their families attend a Christmas gathering at their local Compassion centre, where they receive gifts and together celebrate the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Where precautions must be taken, Compassion centre staff will hand-deliver Christmas gifts to each child’s home, taking the time to share in the joy of the season with each family.
Where more caution is required, Compassion centre staff will facilitate cash transfers, empowering parents and caregivers to choose and buy a gift for their child.
In every case, Christmas gifts are personally delivered by local Compassion staff and volunteers who uniquely know each child and their family. Our local church partners take extra care to ensure that every child and family feel known, loved and connected and are reminded of Jesus’ love for them.
Read moreIn Brazil, Christmas has looked different over the past couple years.
But that didn’t stop Compassion centre director Alessandra from bringing a message of hope to Compassion kids and their families. “We wanted to show that neither Jesus nor we will forget about them,” she says.
For Compassion children in her community, the centre’s care for their families is a tangible reminder of the Good News of great joy that we celebrate during the Christmas season.
“I’m happy that Christmas is coming, as it’s the moment that we celebrate the birth of Christ. He deserves every celebration because He protects and always helps us,” says Gabriela.
“I like Christmas because we get gifts and have fun. Christmas is the birthday of Jesus, the Creator of the world and our Saviour,” says Nicolas.
Over the past couple of years, as pandemic realities have impacted many communities around the world, centre directors like Alessandra remain committed to sharing God’s love with the children and families they serve. “Children are so excited when they receive Christmas gifts. For some of them, it’s the only time of the year that they receive a gift. For this reason, we insist on knowing the wish of each child to present them with what they really want,” Alessandra says.
When you give to the Christmas Gift Fund and send words of encouragement in a Christmas greeting, you ensure Compassion children around the world can experience the joy of Christmas this year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Local Compassion centre staff and volunteers will make every effort to get letters and gifts delivered to children and their families in time for Christmas, but unfortunately because of changing local pandemic restrictions that is not guaranteed. However, sending gifts and letters by the October 31 deadline gives them the greatest chance of arriving before Christmas.
Typically, Compassion centres host Christmas gatherings that are often the highlight of the year in many communities. Together, they celebrate with food, stories, music, dancing and more, and Compassion children receive their Christmas gifts.
Due to the pandemic, large Christmas celebrations are not possible in many communities, and even where they are allowed, they will be very different. Some Compassion centres will host gatherings, others will do home visits, while others will be limited to connecting virtually. No matter the circumstance, local Compassion staff and volunteers are tenaciously committed to sharing Jesus’ love with the children and families they serve. Local Compassion staff will do everything they can within local restrictions to reach every child and family to deliver gifts, pray with them and remind them of the Good News message of Jesus.
Compassion centre staff stay in close communication with families about gifts that are delivered as cash transfers. In the case of cash transfers, the decision of what to purchase is ultimately made by the child’s caregiver. In some cases, particularly in communities where the pandemic situation is serious enough to require cash transfers only, we recognize that meeting the family’s critical needs will be the right choice in the best interests of the child. Caregivers are well-equipped to make this choice for their families. Compassion’s use of cash transfers is in alignment with leading poverty alleviation research highlighting the effectiveness of cash transfers as they empower parents and caregivers with choice.
About Compassion
As one of the world’s leading child development organizations, Compassion’s mission is to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. Over the last 70 years, Compassion revolutionized the fight against global poverty by partnering with local churches to lift children out of spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty.
Today, Compassion partners with over 8,000 churches in 29 countries to deliver our proven child development program to more than 2 million infants, children and youth. Around the world, children, families and entire communities are being empowered to overcome poverty and thrive both now and into the future.
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