As the cold season draws ever closer, the ‘Children’s Christmas Dreams’ project is gearing up for launch. This is a social responsibility project in which children and teenagers living in care homes and attending social services centres across Lithuania create postcards and other illustrations. The project’s initiators, the public institution “Saugi Pradžia”, act as a sort of “intermediary”, offering the children’s artwork for sale to businesses, institutions, organisations and each and every one of us, whilst ensuring its proper presentation, delivery, promoting the project, and so on. The funds raised in this way are allocated to the participants in this social project – the children. This gives project participants the opportunity, through their own efforts, to earn a reward and perhaps buy a long-dreamed-of item, a piece of clothing, a book or add to their piggy bank. The project aims not merely to give, but to encourage action, to experience the joy of creativity and a sense of pride in oneself when one’s efforts yield tangible results. The organisers also hope that, by providing such an opportunity, children and teenagers facing social difficulties will be encouraged to pursue their own interests in the future, not to be afraid to choose activities close to their hearts, or even to start their own business, despite the challenges they face. After all, what matters most is inspiration, support and belief. Around 70 per cent of all funds raised during the project will be allocated to children in care homes and centres. On this basis, the project’s initiators maintain that a fishing rod is always a better gift than a fish :)
Companies, institutions and organisations can contribute to the project by purchasing:
- Original postcards, hand-drawn or otherwise decorated by children and teenagers living in care homes or attending social services centres throughout Lithuania
- Printed postcards featuring a chosen design or designs
- Electronic postcards
- Envelope production/design
- Postcards decorated by the children of the company’s or organisation’s staff or visitors
- Company/organisation calendars, illustrated with children’s drawings based on a chosen theme
- Workshops for the children of the company’s or organisation’s staff and visitors: making Christmas cards, envelopes and toys
Or by helping to publicise the project.
Full details of the project can be found and its progress followed on the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kaledinesvaikusvajones and on the website www.saugipradzia.lt