Florin is a single father. He land his three children, Anais (10) Andreea (7) and Raisa (5), live in a single room in the outskirts of a village in Romania. They have no running water, indoor toilet or bathroom and their one room must serve as a bedroom, kitchen and living room for them. Their only access to water is a nearby well and the lack of access to clean water led to an outbreak of hepatitis earlier in the year.

Throughout the year, Florin works long hours doing seasonal work to provide for his children. But when winter comes, opportunities for any work dry up, increasing pressure on the family as they try to cover their costs.

“Every day feels like a battle just to keep food on the table. Trying to stretch what little money I have feels impossible some days.” Florin explained, “I’m constantly left making choices no parent should make, whether to pay a bill or buy clothes, buying urgent medicines or paying for groceries to last for a couple of days.”

As part of our care for those in the community, we distribute Operation Christmas Love boxes filled with essential food and treats to families in great need, including Florin’s. As well as food and treats, each of these boxes contains literature explaining how we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day.

“I can’t even put into words what it means to us.” Said Florin, “Not having to worry about how to afford Christmas food takes a huge weight off my shoulders. Without this box, I am very sure our Christmas would look different, especially when it comes to Christmas dinner. We can now have a variety of meals and treats that make the holiday feel special. Being able to offer the children meals they enjoy during the holidays and not having to go hungry is a Christmas blessing that I am very grateful for.”

The Mission wants to raise funds to deliver thousands of Operation Christmas Love boxes to families, like Florin's, who live in deep poverty. Many of them live broken lives and are in desperate need of hope.

A gift of £30 will cover the distribution and contents of one box enabling a family in need to share with you the true meaning of Christmas and for children to enjoy healthy food and a happy and joyful time. Please help us to deliver as many parcels as possible this Christmas