Most Canadian residents have become accustomed to a certain standard of living. Appliances, like a stove and a fridge, are household necessities. Beds, sheets, and pillows are bedroom staples, and there’s usually light bulbs in every room to light the way when night falls.
In many struggling communities in the developing world, what we view as household basics are unaffordable luxuries. Often, homes don’t have reliable electricity or running water. Individual bedrooms are rare, as are clean beds and bedding. The lack of stoves and refrigeration makes preparing hot, nutritious meals a difficulty.
Our Chalice Gift Catalogue allows donors to purchase much needed items for struggling families. When a donor selects and purchases a gift, the item is bought locally by our site and delivered to a family in need.
Every year, generous donors purchase thousands of gifts to help lift families out of poverty. Each and every gift is deeply valued and cherished by the recipients.
Our dedicated site staff is tasked with delivering these gifts to the homes of beneficiaries. At the majority of our sites, simply popping an item in the mail isn’t possible. Larger items, such as beds and stoves, are even more difficult to transport.
At our Ayolas site in Paraguay, 100 families recently received household gifts such as beds, furniture, stoves, and kitchenware. Many homes were located in areas with extensively damaged, flooded roads. Our site staff came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to make deliveries by car. They’d simply just have to carry the items themselves!
Staff walked across flooded roads and muddy terrain with items above their heads to keep them from getting wet. Families laughed and cheered when their gifts were delivered, and were extremely grateful to have been chosen as recipients. “Families are always so happy to receive their gifts, and infinitely thank the donors” says Javier Cristaldo, our Ayolas site director. “Our staff is more than happy to be participants in this great and noble cause.”
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