Donations to the Poor House this Christmas

GREENLAND (Dagbladet): – I have had foot surgery seven times in recent years and have been at home for three years. This fall I became disabled.

Dagbladet meets Nurgima Asanovska outside the Poor House in Oslo on Wednesday 22 December. She is number 57 in the queue and came to the Greenland camp several hours ago to secure a good place and a better selection.

– I am a nurse and have worked in home nursing since 1994. Now the body can no longer cope and the money is not enough, Asanovaska says to Dagbladet.

– I miss my job, I miss being a part of society, but I had to bend now and get some help from the Poor House.

– Did you start coming here after you became disabled?

– Yes, I was there on September 1, and after that I have started coming to the Poor House on Mondays and Wednesdays, says Asanovska.

The help helps the mood

The mother of two tells of some difficult years, and that she has become disabled due to an injury to her leg. Now she is in line to get Christmas food for herself and her daughter.

– I simply do not have money, or advice. Then the Poor House helps me get through the month. That’s why I’m here twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Then I can get food for my daughter and me.

– How important is it for you that the Poor House still exists?

– It is a very good scheme, I think. That we who are completely on edge can get that help from the Poor House. It is just not possible to buy food yourself. It is expensive, but then I can come here and pick up food twice a week, which helps a lot on my mood and my situation.

– What do you hope you get here today then?

– Some Christmas food and things for my daughter. That we get enough to make it to the new year.

Even though it is not entirely financially sound, Asanovska tells how she makes lots of homemade gifts she can hand out to family and friends, as she has received a lot of yarn in the mail.

– I sent out a request for yarn, and got lots. So now I have been knitting socks, hats and mittens for a while, she says with a smile.

The electricity bills characterize everyday life

Asanovska is having a tough time financially, but she shows great courage in adversity. She seems cheerful, smiles and is talkative.

She tells Dagbladet that she lives in Oslo with her daughter and a friend, and mentions the high electricity bills. They have characterized everyday life in recent months.

– You also know about the electricity bills?

– Yes I do. The price has increased three times as much in recent months for us. My friend and I share an apartment and we recently received a bill of 3000 kroner and that is quite a lot for us. It characterizes the situation, but at the same time you should not freeze.

Asanovska says that she chooses to turn off the power at times, and that she uses a gas stove to try to save on electricity.

– But now it’s Christmas, and thanks to the Poor House we will enjoy ourselves.

Over eight kroner

350 to 400 in the queue

Chairman Jansen Solvang talks about hectic days at the Poor House at the Greenland Camp in Oslo before Christmas Eve.

It is December 22 and the Poor House’s last handover before the holidays. The queue has already stretched over a quarter and a half, half an hour before the delivery begins. Hundreds of people have lined up to get food and Christmas presents.

– Around this time, we have 350 to 400 people who show up to get food and gifts during the holidays. In recent days, we have been open every day to be able to give out Christmas presents to those who can not afford to buy anything themselves, says Solvang to Dagbladet.

Distributed 2400 gifts

In recent days, the Poor House has already issued four gifts per person to 600 needy people. In other words, they have given away 2400 gifts, and they still have a room filled with gifts for those who show up two days before Christmas Eve.

Solvang says that it often happens that they do not have enough dinner to give out to those present, but that now before Christmas a lot of extra food has arrived.

– Some of it is due to many canceled Christmas tables, and that means that we have more Christmas food to hand out, something we know many want especially today. But considering that we have people who are in the queue today and need food until Christmas, we do not have enough for everyone who needs it, he says.

– Many new faces

Jansen Solvang stands outside the Poor House and sees the queue stretching up the block along Greenland Church, «Østkantens katedral».

He talks about who those in the queue for the Poor House are. There are ordinary people who have fallen outside. There are new compatriots who have not gotten a proper job yet. There are people who have been laid off in the pandemic.

He sees many new faces.

– We exist for all those who feel they need the Poor House and there have been many new faces this year. People who otherwise would have managed, but due to the situation around the corona have had to come here to be able to keep their heads above water.

Solvang hopes that those who come get what they want and manage through the holidays. He hopes more people will be inspired to give a little extra at Christmas, but also the coming year.

– Shameful

Solvang reacts to the fact that relative poverty is so high in Norway, even though there has been a pandemic. He believes the state should be able to take better care of all citizens over the last few years.

– It is a shame that we see an increase in poverty in the population.

Relative poverty is described by FN as poverty in relation to the majority of the population in a country. If you are poorer than most others in your country, you will experience relative poverty.

Extra delivery on Christmas Eve

In the aftermath of the handover on Tuesday, Solvang says that they had an extra long food distribution, where they could surprise all their guests with a gift card from Rema of 500 kroner, which they can use for Christmas.

They have also had an extra distribution on Christmas Eve for those who could not come earlier, due to the quarantine.

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