Christmas gift to those in need

I sat on the rooftop where the Sisters in Calcutta were living with orphans they had found wandering the streets. Today there is a three storey orphanage and girls' shelter where the children receive shelter and care, going out to school each day. However, in the beginning, the reality was that the cheerful Sisters both lived and taught on an open air rooftop with two rooms, one for the Sisters and the other for the girls they were looking after. We had a wonderful day, the street children who had come visiting from another shelter and the orphans chasing each other around. It was near the end of the year, and the Sisters and I were chatting. The Sisters wondered whether any of the items I had sent to each child the previous year as a present for Christmas had even survived, as they never saw them. 'Watch,' I said. I asked one of the Sisters to translate, and she asked the girls whether they still had the gifts Didi (my name among the children, meaning 'Elder Sister' ) had sent them.

The girls scattered, and disappeared for a while. Eventually every child came back, hair clips with diamante insets from Ireland proudly gleaming in their hair, their little purses I had found in a store in their hands, their school books and reading books I had sent carefully carried. Their special summer shoes were on their feet, in some cases almost as new as the day I sent them. The girls had hidden their treasures away in little cardboard boxes they had rescued and adorned with tinsel and crepe paper. They told the Sister they kept these gifts safely hidden, and then when there was a special occasion, they also could bring out their treasures, so they would be dressed the same as the children who had parents and families. 'Our elder sister in Ireland sent these, specially for us.'

The Sisters were laughing and delighted. I told them, 'Each child never forgets a special gift. They will always treasure it.' I took the glow of happiness on both the childrens' faces and that of the Sisters with me through every Christmas since. Christmas is a family time, when we rejoice to be part of the celebration of family. This Christmas in the spirit of Lumiere, please consider sending a box of gifts either to an orphan, street child, or disadvantaged person who are our brothers and sisters in the wider human family. Many adults do not have the basic necessities to offer a good meal to their children on Christmas - a basket of food is a great gift. Many elderly sit in areas without even the proper necessities for personal care or clothing - I have worked with elderly and indigent lying sleeping on the streets, with no one to care for them. If each of us who has been blessed with our daily needs and perhaps a little extra, shares with one other person  - well, it will indeed be a blessed Christmastime.

We send off Christmas boxes every year to our orphans and street children.
We at Lumiere have found that gift boxes for children including the following are most helpful;
Casual slip on shoes in material suitable for the child's climate, age and size
Clothing and underwear suited to the child's personal age, size and climate
School writing books
Pencils (unsharpened)
Colour pencils
Colouring in books
Reading books in a language suitable for the child's culture
Soft cuddly toy (lovely for a lonely child to cuddle), or gift suitable for the child/teenager
Preferably not plastic toy guns or weapons of war such as knife etc. which may have a negative memory for the child
Bar of soap
Deodorant roll on for teenager (depending on age)
Face cloth
Toothbrush
Card for the child with a personal message inside
If you are giving a box, toothpaste is a welcome addition, also items such as shower gel, powder and other hygiene items.
If you are posting a box, liquids are not sent by post. Rather send a donation to the head of an orphanage/children's shelter or care shelter for the indigent or elderly for needs in this respect

Other gifts in a box sent to the Head of an orphanage/children's shelter can include; paper for writing exams on, pens, rulers, pencils, rubbers, staplers, staples, plastic bands, cross stitch kits, embroidery yarns, knitting needles, wool, material for sewing, sewing needles, cottons for sewing, scissors, underwear, school books, hair care items, hair clips, hair bands, hair combs, slip on sandals all sizes, cuddly toys for children, clothing of all sizes suitable for the climate in which the orphanage/children's shelter is.

For care of the indigent, shower gel and hygiene items are excellent for those attempting to get jobs, and needing a shower and fresh clothing. Also, it is possible to liaise with a reputable group and to donate the payment for a shower and meal for an unemployed person living on the streets and looking for work. Donate a suit or smart clothing and shoes for men and women who are trying to climb out of the poverty trap, looking for work. Or give the person the donation for a few days at a reputable hostel while they are readying themselves trying to get work. Assist with donation or liaison with a reputable Internet cafe to get the unemployed person's CV typed and printed in order to facilitate the jobseeker at their interview.

We have assisted many people who had found they felt unkempt after being reduced by unfortunate circumstances to living on the streets. We have had the joy of seeing people who had been unemployed, glowing with pride in their new job, and able to be a family unit once more - able to afford to care for their children again.

Elderly who are in need can be assisted with bedding, liaison with a care shelter for a place to stay, food, hygiene items, clothing, and assistance with transfer to a hospital or clinic for medical care e.g. if they have leg ulcers, or any of the other ills that advancing age, infirmity and homelessness can cause. A good idea in this regard is to offer some time as a volunteer helper in a reputable charity which assists the elderly and indigent in this regard. Many people thoroughly enjoy spending Christmas in a Shelter for the Homeless, assisting with donation of food towards - and serving of - a delicious Christmas meal and much fun in a community spirit.

May the spirit of Lumiere - bringing light into others' lives - be yours at Christmastime; and may blessing be with you and your loved ones at this lovely family time.