A Burgas charity says it will start its national "Gifts of Hope" campaign on Sunday, 1 November, with a goal of giving a Christmas present to 1,000 girls and boys in need. The group, called "The Faithful Guardian" (Veriyat nastoynik), announced the plan.
This is the third year in a row for the campaign. Last Christmas, 500 children got a gift. In 2024, the figure was 200.
People can drop off gifts until 1 December. In Burgas, the drop-off point is at Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Burgas, at 2 Filip Kutev Street. The radio is also the media partner of the campaign.
Anyone can help by putting together a small gift. It can include pencils, felt-tip pens, notebooks, drawing pads and other school supplies, a children's book to read or colour in, a small toy (a soft toy, toy car, doll or puzzle) or a few sweets.
The organisers ask that each gift comes with a card carrying a message for the child. They also want donors to say what age the gift suits, for example 3-5, 7-9 or 10-12 years, and whether it is for a boy or a girl.
Schools, universities, institutions, local firms and individuals have joined the campaign. It now reaches beyond Burgas region. Gifts have come from other towns since last year, and this year the charity has volunteers and coordinators in Varna, Plovdiv, Pleven, Vidin and elsewhere.
Zhelyo Zhelev, chair of the board of "The Faithful Guardian", says attention matters most to the children. He says a gift affects both the child and the donor, so this year the charity will count the donors as well as the children who get a gift. Zhelev said the aim is to encourage kindness in children, parents and families, not just to hand over a present.
"My appeal is that we become the reason for a child to believe in Goodness!" Zhelev told BNR. He called on more people to join in, so that hope reaches more children in Bulgaria. Zhelev believes the kindness will reach thousands of children and families and that "all together we will turn this campaign into a national movement of Goodness!".
The charity will collect the pledged gifts by 5 December. From 7 to 22 December, it will hand them out to children and families in need.