Poland: Caritas, Christmas Eve dinner and gifts for thousands of homeless people. Initiatives in 28 cities

“Christmas is a special, solemn and joyful time, when we all wish to wait for the birth of the Redeemer with our beloved ones, in a loving and friendly atmosphere; however, sadly, not everyone can, and it is precisely for them that Caritas will organise Christmas Eve dinner”: this has been explained by don Marcin Iżycki, director of Caritas Poland, who expects over 10 thousand people, including old, lonely and homeless people, to take part in the event. In 28 cities across Poland, on December 23^rd and 24^th, the guests of Caritas will find festive table settings and will be served by over 2 thousand volunteers, who will help a lot of local restaurants prepare the traditional dishes. The big supermarkets gave Caritas several tons of ingredients for free, to make the typical beetroot soup as well as fried fish and sauerkraut and mushrooms. The people taking part in the dinner, which will start with Christmas greetings and the traditional sharing of a wafer known as “opłatek”, will be gifted wool gloves, scarves or hats, hand-knitted by the volunteers of the “working with heart” initiative and wrapped up along with foodstuffs and other basic necessities.