Christmas in a Box: Helping Families in Bærum and Beyond

They started their Christmas aid concept in Bærum. They are now fully subscribed and hope the scheme can be extended to other municipalities.

Lucia Skaven (tv) and Ane-Marte Weng share a common commitment to helping families who dread Christmas. At the stand, they have brought in several contributors. Photo: Stein J. Bjørge

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Published: 29/11/2023 05:58

The short version

Lucia Skaven and Ane-Marte Weng have created the concept “Christmas in a box” to help families with children at Christmas in Bærum.

The summary is created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality assured by Aftenposten’s journalists.

Short version is for subscribers only

– Excuse me, could you imagine helping a family with children for Christmas?

The question causes many people to stop and talk to the two women outside the grocery store at Jar.

Lucia Skaven (23) and Ane-Marte Weng (41) think they have hit a nerve with people in need who want to help others.

For many, things are tough now in the animal age. 6 out of 10 with poor finances do not know if they can afford Christmas this year, according to the Salvation Army.

Around 600,000 Norwegians dread Christmas, according to Unicef ​​Norway’s annual Christmas survey. It is particularly those with a low income and families with children who are the most pessimistic, the survey shows.

But at the other end, there are many who want to contribute. The Christmas helpers in Bærum started a concept.

– We live in one of the richest municipalities in the country, a place with great differences. I’ve thought for a long time that I want to do something, but it never came to fruition. Before now, says Skaven.

This is how it works

The scheme is called “Christmas in a box”. It works like this:

Families register as donors. They are matched anonymously with a recipient family who sends in their food and gift wishes for Christmas. It is the social services and voluntary organizations in the municipality that select the recipient families. In a box, the donor family collects purchased food and gifts and delivers the box just before Christmas. The recipient family collects their box at the same place later that evening.

– You choose how much you want to make of it, says Skaven.

The wishes for the box can be some Christmas food, dessert and some snacks and Christmas presents for the children of around NOK 300 each.

Jula i boks has received an enormous response from families in Bærum and has had to close for new donor registrations. Photo: Stein J. Bjørge

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Inspired by Stavanger

The two Christmas helpers did not know each other from before. But both had turned to voluntary organizations to discover what the need is in the municipality. They usually work as consultants. And with their network of digital minds and extensive research, they have spent a year getting the logistics in place.

They received inspiration and advice from the organization “Gi en Jul” in Stavanger. In collaboration with the social services in the municipality, they finally found their own form.

– It is a personal way of helping, even if you do not come into direct contact with the family you are helping, says Skaven.

Already fully subscribed

The duo’s offer comes in addition to the other initiatives of Christmas help in the municipality. They assure that they are serious. They have their own organization number, bank account and a close collaboration with the social services and voluntary organizations in the municipality.

– With other private initiatives, you may have been able to help someone, but received thousands of inquiries and failed to help so many others, says Weng.

And even before the Christmas month has started, “Christmas in a box” has received all the donor families they need this year. They are still accepting donations, and now the offer may be extended to other municipalities. They have received several inquiries from people in Oslo and other municipalities who also want to offer Christmas help.

– We hope that we can expand the offer in our municipality already next year, because there is a need here, says Skaven.

Does not charge

On December 21, all the boxes must be given and received.

The donor families make the box themselves, fill it with the recipient family’s wishes and deliver it for distribution. Skaven and Weng are the leader and deputy leader of Jula i boks. Photo: Stein J. Bjørge

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And if there are boxes left over, they will be donated to the Salvation Army, which takes care of food and gifts for later use.

– What do you get in return for doing this?

– No money, but a lot of joy. This is an opportunity for us to do something for others, direct Christmas help to someone who needs it, says Weng.

2023-11-29 04:58:46


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