The Baráthegyi Guide Dog School gave Christmas presents to visually impaired and needy children. Real children’s wishes came true, so the holiday was not about need, but about dreams and love.
The angels chose one child at a time, meaning that their own personal experience was included in the gift-giving, making it a loving holiday for the children and the gift-givers
– said Ádám Balogh, the organiser of the Christmas Angel programme, who works at the Baráthegyi Guide Dog School.
This year, 86 children’s Christmas wishes were fulfilled by the foundation with the help of the Christmas Angels. The Angels are individuals, donors to the Foundation and members of the volunteer community who support the training of guide dogs.
“We also asked them to help with Christmas gifts for visually impaired and needy children. The initiative has been received with such joy and enthusiasm that we are able to grant more and more children’s Christmas wishes” – said Adam Balogh.
The guide dogs play an important role in the fact that there are so many enthusiastic supporters of the Christmas programme, so the angels also thought of them, sending them lots of surprise treats, so they were not left out of the celebrations.
Love and dreams
The festive occasion welcomed the children, who were happy to open their presents and eager to meet the guide dogs.
The children received gifts that they really wanted. Real dreams and wishes have now come true. In this case, it’s not just practicality that counts, the children will have an experience that is about them, not about need, but about love and dreams.
– said one of the donors, Antónia Kállai, who attended the celebration with her guide dog.
We are looking for applicants for our puppy raising programme!
Those interested will attend a training session on 13 January 2024, where all relevant information will be provided. Our foundation welcomes applications from all over the country.
The active, playful puppies will spend a year with our volunteer puppy raisers. After that, they will go into guide training, but the connection is never broken! Be an important part of a guide dog’s life! Please make a final decision on your application after reading our article on puppy training: https://barathegyisegitokutya.hu/kolyokneveles
Then fill out the application form, which you can also find at the link above. Thank you for your interest!
What went under the kids’ Christmas tree this year?
“Most of the gifts are toys and sweets, but some are clothes, utensils such as curling irons, haircutters or cake-making tools. The children, who live in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, were selected with the help of rehabilitation specialists and family support workers. The majority of them are visually impaired, but there are also children who are disadvantaged or in their current situation have no possibility to receive a present at Christmas” – said Ádám Balogh, psychologist at the Baráthegyi Guide Dog School and the organiser of the event.
Every year, the Christmas Angel programme puts more parcels under the Christmas tree. In the first year, 50 children were delighted, last year 64 and this year 86.
“So many angels came forward this year, so enthusiastic were they, that next year we would like to give presents to 100 children” – said Ádám Balogh.
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