More needy families benefit from Christmas Help and follow-up offers
VELUX FONDEN has for two years supported a number of social aid organizations, who distribute Christmas aid in Denmark. The organizations was selected because they hand out Christmas help to families in a social vulnerable position and offer follow up help the same families at the same time. Now the cooperation is extended and yet another charity is added to the list.
The aid organizations are Red Cross, Danish People's Aid, Danchurchsocial and the Salvation Army - and later Mødrehjælpen. Together, the organizations have received about DKK 8,000,000 for follow-up activities in 2016.
Building on good experiences
The organizations already have good experience in creating good results with the follow-up effort, and several of the activities are continuations of their proven/work in progress.
One of the parents who participated in a Red Cross' family camp says, “The camp has given me thoughtful experiences and opportunity for change and improvement, it has been an eye opener for other ways to resolve conflicts”.
Evaluating the effect
VELUX FONDEN is also implementing a lateral, external evaluation of the entire Christmas help efforts to assess how the follow-up activities has benefited the vulnerable families.
Senior adviser Jimmie Gade Nielsen, VELUX FONDEN,
"The idea behind the follow-up offer is that the families receiving Christmas help will also accept offers of help in other areas where they experience significant challenges in life. It may be support for social networking, legal issues, family relations, conflict management or debt problems. VELUX FONDEN wish that the families get additional aid through the follow-up offer that may make them more self-reliant and that they get the courage to make changes so that they can break free from the temporarily exposed position".
Some families struggle with many challenges
There is a significant target group for the Christmas help. The organizations participating in VELUX FONDEN´s initiative have each chosen to focus on the follow-up offer that they believe will be of long term benefit to the vulnerable families who often feel isolated and have a poor social network.
These families are affected by both the economic and social challenges for a short or a longer period. Some families have been in vulnerable position for a long time, due to unemployment and social and psychological problems. Others find themselves in a vulnerable position, due to sudden crises such as divorce, unemployment or death in the family.
