The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid (HRCA) provides comprehensive and personalized help to those in urgent need during the winter. In order to finance the program called “Neighbours,” HRCA launched a countrywide fundraising campaign. The Charity of RCH will provide financial support and humanitarian aid in the form of hot and cold meals, firewood, and vouchers for families and elder orphans living in deep poverty and deprivation. In the coming weeks, special attention will be paid to homeless persons.
During the Advent season, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid made the holidays of more than 8,000 children brighter and collected 100 tons of durable food and hygiene products to support families and elderly people in difficult situations, both inside and outside Hungary. However, the help is not only needed at Christmas but throughout the winter crisis, when heating the home is a serious burden for households living on very limited budgets.
In response to this need, HRCA has launched its quarterly fundraising campaign. The aim of the programme is to provide substantial and tangible support to those most in need between January and March, tailored to the individual needs of the applicants. In this context, those struggling with serious existential problems and challenges in terms of sustaining themselves will receive life-saving help in the form of non-perishable food packages, hygiene articles, and toiletries, and, in justified cases, direct financial support in the form of vouchers accepted at most of the grocery shops. For those at risk of running out of heating, firewood is distributed around the country. In addition, support for the homeless is a priority during the winter period. There are several hot meal distribution points for the homeless in Budapest, Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged, and Sárospatak, and weekly tea delivery in Budapest and Miskolc, providing hot drinks, sandwiches, and blankets to people living on the streets.
Márton Juhász, CEO of HRCA, highlighted the motivation and the background of the winter assistance as follows.
“The original meaning of the term ‘neighbour’ refers to someone living in our proximity, or more generally to those close to us. During the critical winter season, one of the main messages of our programme is to encourage our community to recognize those close to us when they are in trouble or in need and not to pass by them without a word or gesture. We would like to raise the awareness of Christian duty and remind everyone that expressing our solidarity with those in need should not ‘expire’ at the end of the Advent season but continue as the biblical message doesn’t know temporal limit: love your neighbour as yourself.”