A few hundred wishes were added to the Childrens’ Dreams list this year – after the first 1,741 were fulfilled by benefactors in record time. But even they have all been taken up, campaign organiser Letizia Buttigieg said.
She and a few others are now collecting the gifts at the Luqa office, with the storage room beginning to resemble Santa’s Grotto, but with a difference.
Apart from all the toys, there are also vouchers for meals at fast-food outlets, which so many children would take for granted but which remain a rare treat for those from vulnerable backgrounds.
We have always been amazed by the generosity
Many children wanted vouchers to be able to buy their own clothes, while some were aimed at independent life, with one 17-year-old wanting equipment for her very own flat, another asking for a make-up course, and another for a hairdressing one.
The team do not take the generosity of the donors for granted and go the extra mile to add something to the experience: each one is given a carved wooden ‘thank you’ angel.
And children are encouraged to make their own Christmas cards to give with the gifts.
“In past years, we have always been amazed by the generosity, but this year, the wishes were all taken up even faster than usual. And we added more to the list, and even they were taken up! There are going to be a lot of very happy faces this Christmas,” Ms Buttigieg said.
The 2,075 gifts are being collected by the Foundation for Social Welfare Services and passed on to the children’s carers to be handed out on Christmas Day.