Christmas is a time for joy, for presents, for family and for spending time together with your loved ones. At least for some. Unfortunately not for all of us.
For many children and youngsters in Norway (and all over the world) Christmas is the toughest time of the year. It is the time of year when not being part of a happy, loving and caring family becomes most visible. For children with parents that drink or use drugs , it is the time of year when celebration and vacation leads to an intoxicated marathon for the people who are supposed to take care of the children and run the family. When there is no school to go to, many children are unseen during Christmas.
The Church City Mission does their work in many of the biggest cities in Norway. They see the ones who live in loneliness and poverty and lack a sense of belonging. They wish to meet those who are lonely in the midst of a crowd, to see the individual and give help and support when they feel the need. Through deeds, The City Mission wishes to contribute towards making people feel wanted and respected.
This year the Church City Mission has started a campaign that aims to create light in the dark - to see those who are unseen. Their campaign OVER-Z (unseen) focuses on children and youngsters who suffer from failure of care, and is a call upon all of us to see children who are neglected by others, so that they can get a better life.
Norwegian Hull Club has made it a tradition to donate money to The Church City Mission every year before Christmas instead of sending out Christmas cards and gifts to our clients and business associates. This year our contribution goes to the OVER-Z campaign. Our appeal to all of you this year, is to let Christmas be the time of year when those of us who have been fortunate enough to be spared for such challenges in our lives, take a break in our busy schedules and take the time to care also for other people in our surroundings.
We would like to thank you all for the good contact and communication we have had throughout 2010 and wish all of you a peaceful, merry Christmas and all the best for the upcoming year!