A Dundee church has launched a gift appeal to help Ukrainian refugees celebrate their national festive holiday, St. Nicholas Day, away from home.
Broughty Ferry Baptist Church congregation members are hoping to collect around 200 new toys from members for Ukrainian children in the city.
St. Nicholas Day, on December 19, is a Christian holiday in Ukraine when children wait for St. Nicholas to come and put a present under their pillows – provided they were good that year.
Moraig Piggot, who is leading the initiative, says she was inspired after learning about the special day from a Ukrainian visitor to the church.
Life for Ukrainian refugees ‘still not easy’
The 43-year-old said: “For the kids who are going to be here in December from Ukraine, they’re going to be away from home, and everything is going to be very different.
“We’re aware some of the Ukrainians are beginning to work and make money, but it’s still not easy for them.
“They’ve had to leave everything they had behind, and we just thought, ‘Well, for the kids, is there something we could do?'”
An Amazon wish list has been set up, allowing “anyone from anywhere” to get involved.
The list includes a variety of items, including a stylish tote bag, doll house play set, roller skates, a skateboard and a kite.
The church currently supports around 60 families at its ‘Ukrainian Coffee and Chat’ drop-in sessions, which it has held twice a month since April.
Moraig estimates there are some 100 Ukrainian children in the area who are in need.
She said: “Ideally I would like to be able to give every child something between £10 and £20 – a slightly bigger gift – as well as a stocking filler, maybe just under £5.
“There is about 100 kids, so we need 100 bigger gifts and 100 smaller gifts ideally.”
‘This is going to be a really difficult Christmas for everyone’
Dozens of gifts have been delivered to the church in the first days of the appeal – a response Moraig calls “amazing”.
She is especially touched given the cost of living crisis, which will see millions of households across the UK spend less on festivities this year.
Moraig said: “We appreciate that this is going to be a really difficult Christmas for everyone and so we do appreciate that we are asking for a lot.
“We greatly appreciate that even though, in the current circumstances people might be struggling themselves, they are still willing to help the Ukrainians.”
The church will be taking donations until the end of November, at which time Ukrainian parents will be invited to pick a gift their child would like.
Speaking about their reaction to the gift appeal, Moraig said: “There has been feedback coming back from them just to say that they are so grateful, and that this is so kind, and that it just makes them feel very welcome here in Dundee.”
You can contribute to the gift appeal here.
Conversation