Unwanted Christmas gifts, especially toys, should not be discarded as they could bring joy to children whose families are struggling to make ends meet, Caritas Malta executive director Leonid McKay said.

Mr McKay was asked by The Sunday Times of Malta if the organisation was willing to accept items received during the festive period.

Founded in 1968, the voluntary organisation run by the Church offers numerous services ranging from rehabilitation from substance abuse, counselling, social work and community outreach to support families in need.

While the Maltese in recent weeks have once again rallied to offer financial support to philanthropic organisations as witnessed by the record €4 million raised during L-Istrina, there are other ways of expressing solidarity.

“Though we are more after essential products like nappies, clothes and food items, we would be more than willing to accept unwanted presents especially toys as these are the things that deprived children appreciate most,” he said.

Prof. McKay said such donations were not common but nevertheless the feedback they got from parents was positive.

A more noble gesture would be to encourage children to take the initiative and offer one of their presents to those in need

“The majority of children nowadays take it for granted that they will receive loads of presents at Christmas, but there are still those who remain empty handed,” he said.

“While donating unwanted gifts would be a positive step, a more noble gesture would be to encourage children to take the initiative and offer one of their presents to those in need,” Prof. McKay added.

The Caritas director said that depending on the feedback from this appeal, they would decide whether to launch a proper campaign.

“Judging by the positive feedback we received for the free Christmas lunch organised last month at our Floriana headquarters, there seems to be huge interest in such initiatives, as we have already received enquires if there will be an Easter lunch,” he said.

Unwanted gifts such as toys, books and even food hampers can be donated by sending an e-mail to andre.bonello@caritasmalta.org or by phoning on 9912 2515.

Tips to start clearing credit card debt

January is the month when many start coming to terms with the festive season spending spree, most notably those who squandered their credit card funds like there was no tomorrow.

So, what are the ways to start paying off the debt before it is too late and in time for next Christmas? The following tips may come in handy to reach this goal:

• Remove the credit cards out of your wallet so you are not tempted to use them any time soon.

• Going out to eat twice a week may be unsustainable for the time being so try and keep such commitments to a minimum to rein in spending.

• Monitor your spending pattern over a two-week period to learn where your hard-earned cash is going.

• Make a monthly budget and set a number of goals while prioritising debts to ensure there is enough cash to cover mortgages, loans, utility bills, groceries and of course the monthly credit card payment.

• Refrain from spending any remaining funds which could go for an extra deposit on top of the minimum monthly credit card payment

• Pay off those credit cards with the smallest balance first as this might give a psychological boost of reaching the targets faster.

• Try and achieve a snowball effect by channelling part of the freed monthly free payments to the next large outstanding credit card debt.

• Regular monitoring of the progress towards set monthly targets is the key for self-discipline.

• Once paying off a card, consider closing the account as one or two credit cards are more than enough.