Since 2022, Global Empowerment Mission Europe has been running an initiative to bring support, dignity and joy to children and families in need during the festive season.
The programme was originally established in response to the growing needs of refugee children from Ukraine, and today focuses on activities in Poland, including:
What started as a small gesture of solidarity towards the youngest has developed into activities carried out in collaboration with local partners - in schools, care facilities, shelters, parishes and other places mentioned in the programme description.
The aim of the programme is to create moments of happiness and dignity, especially for children who have experienced displacement, trauma or instability.
In its first year, the programme focused on children and families affected by the war in Ukraine, many of whom were living in refugee shelters and care facilities in Poland.
Working with local partners and the local government network, GEM Europe reached many locations, delivering Christmas presents to more than 600 children.
Places we visited:
In 2024, Global Empowerment Mission Europe conducted Christmas distributions in Poland and supported partner events in Germany, focusing on children affected by natural disasters and forced displacement.
Poland - support for children affected by floods
In response to the catastrophic floods that hit south-western Poland in the summer of 2024, GEM Europe organised Christmas gift distributions for children from the most affected regions of Lower Silesia and Opole.
Many families have lost their homes, possessions and a sense of security. The aim of the campaign was to bring comfort, emotional support and a moment of joy at what could be an extremely difficult time for them. Christmas kits included toys and winter clothing.
Distributions were made in collaboration with local authorities and community partners to reach directly the children most in need of support. As a result, many families were able to experience the warmth and atmosphere of Christmas, despite adversity.
Germany - support for Christmas partnership initiatives
In the same year, thanks to the previously implemented programme „Nationwide children's toy project„, which brought hundreds of pallets of new toys to German social organisations, many of which were able to organise Christmas events and large-scale gift-giving.
While GEM Europe took part in one of the Christmas events, it was local partners - equipped with donated toys and logistical support - who were responsible for organising and distributing to thousands of children from refugee families, poverty-stricken communities and care facilities.
The programme in Germany showed that our activities can strengthen local organisations and enable them to implement projects that bring joy, dignity and inclusion to children at Christmas.
In this year's edition, the programme continued in Poland, focusing on supporting children from families in difficult material circumstances.
In collaboration with the Praga-Północ Social Welfare Centre in Warsaw, GEM Europe donated more than 300 Christmas presents to children from families in need, creating special moments of joy and a sense of security for them during the festive season.
Twoje wsparcie finansuje pomoc w nagłych wypadkach, logistykę i długoterminową odbudowę dla społeczności w kryzysie. Dzięki minimalnym kosztom ogólnym i wstępnie zaopatrzonemu systemowi dostaw sprawiamy, że każda kwota się liczy — dostarczając realną pomoc tam, gdzie i kiedy jest ona najważniejsza.
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