The “St. Nicholas for Children in Need” campaign, which the Maltese Relief Service has been holding for 26 years in a row, has come to an end. Traditionally, the initiative covered thousands of children in the Lviv region: children from boarding schools and orphanages, children with disabilities, and children from families in difficult life circumstances. Despite the difficult situation in the country and the ongoing war, the Maltese Relief Service decided to hold the event because they believe that the Miracle Worker should visit every home.
“There is a war in the country now. And it is very noticeable in letters and requests from children. This year’s wishes from children had a certain feature: children asked for peace and wished for recovery for other children. That is, they do not focus on themselves, but also care about others,” says Victoria Korinchuk, coordinator of the “St. Nicholas for Children in Need” project. “It was hard to read the children’s letters without crying. Many children asked for things for the military. They wrote that instead of candy, St. Nicholas should bring thermal underwear to our defenders, listed how many “bayraktars” and drones our military need, or asked that their fathers or uncles return alive from the front.”
The Maltese Relief Service summarized what children asked the Miracle Worker most often this year:
- Almost all children asked for the war to end and for St. Nicholas to visit all children in Ukraine;
- many children asked for helping the military (thermal underwear, “bayraktars”, drones, thermal imagers, etc.) instead of gifts for themselves;
- 70% of the participants wanted winter clothes, including 30% who asked for hoodies, and also needed jackets, pants, tracksuits, and shoes;
- In 25% of the letters children requested Ukrainian traditional embroidered shirts;
- 50% mentioned stationery, art materials, and educational board games;
- about 20% of children asked for gadgets for distance learning, as well as smartwatches or headphones;
- 15% asked for specific care products and medicines for children with disabilities.
And what is St. Nicholas Day without a miracle? “We were most touched by a letter in which a child wrote that he did not want anything for himself but dreamed that his mother’s eyesight would be restored. The benefactors who received this letter contacted us and said they would like to help this family. The mother of the author of the letter has already undergone eye surgery and is now in the process of rehabilitation. This incredible story teaches us to believe in miracles because they do come true,” said Victoria Korinchuk.
Even though today the key charity of Ukrainians is to support our military, the “St. Nicholas for Children in Need” campaign was a success. “We were impressed by how happy the children were to receive the gifts. Looking at their reactions, we can see that this project was worthwhile, especially in such a difficult time,” the organizers said.
