BLYTHSWOODNEWS Shoebox gifts can be a first step to school - Blythswood Care
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3 6 15
Shoeboxes help
Simple gifts all useful Something new
family that fled from
to widow in Bulgaria and unusead
violence
BLYTHSWOODNEWS
Number 73 Shoe Box Appeal 2020
Shoebox gifts can be
a first step to school
Story on page 2
Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
Cover story
SHOEBOX GIFTS CAN BE Shoeboxes help
A FIRST STEP TO SCHOOL
family that fled
from violence
Coloured crayons caught the
attention of three-year-old Larisa
married by the custom of her
own people.
Her dad takes odd jobs in
construction whenever he can
and sometimes works away
from home for weeks at a time.
Throughout the covid-19
lockdown this family of six
Explore, squeeze, wonder – gift-filled shoeboxes provide received a daily warm meal from
loads of new experiences for children from some of the poorest the Talita Kum canteen to make
households in Europe sure they did not go hungry.
A soft toy, a toothbrush, wide world. Now she can By filling a box for Blythswood’s
a pink rubber ball, learn how to hold a pencil. Shoe Box Appeal you give
coloured crayons. practical aid to families like
The challenges that face Larisa this, and open new horizons Barnabas receives a shoeboxes outside his grandpa’s house in Ozd, Hungary
When you’re three, everything are considerable. Her mother for children like Larisa.
is new. And some kind person tongue is Romani, the If Barnabas looks a little mum has no money to Neither his mum nor his
far away has sent Larisa a language of the Roma people, dazed, it’s because he’s not buy for him or his baby grandpa have jobs. The presents
whole box full of new things but schooling is in Romanian. sure what’s going on. sister. And too young to that you have given this family
to be explored, squeezed In pre-school nursery she will His mother has just disturbed understand the reason are all useful. “Your kindness
and wondered at. be expected to learn a whole his afternoon nap because they’re all staying with his makes such a difference to
new language. somebody has arrived to grandpa in a single-roomed families living in poverty,” says
She doesn’t know it yet, give him a large, brightly- house without a kitchen or Melinda who delivered the
but the crayons which Her mum learned to read and wrapped box. toilet: his mum has fled from boxes to Ozd in northern
immediately caught her write with the assistance of the violence and abuse Hungary. “Not every photo
attention are a first step Talita Kum, Blythswood’s He’s too young to understand she received from her captures a smile but I can tell
along the road that leads to after-school programme, that the new clothes, the soap, husband, who has now you that these people really
school, literacy and but dropped out of education the sweets are things that his been charged. appreciate the gifts.”
participation in the big at just 13 years of age to be
2 Get your shoebox leaflet now – call 01349 830777 Order shoebox leaflets online at www.shoeboxappeal.org 3
Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
Shoebox gifts for family hit by earthquake
Your shoebox gifts announces spring in Albania,
brightened Christmas for I pray that the Lord may bring
a family in Albania whose blessings to this family.”
Warm hats and gloves are especially appreciated by men home was damaged by
like Igor who have experienced homelessness an earthquake just one Look what I’ve got!
month previously.
And Besa Shapllo who For three-year-old Grisald the
SURPRISED BY GIFTS delivered the gifts
discovered that having a
discovery of a soft ball in a
Blythswood shoebox is an
AT REHAB CENTRE huge crack down the
living room wall hadn’t
event he will remember.
“And he was surprised by the
discouraged them from toothbrush and toothpaste,”
IN UKRAINE putting up a Christmas tree. says Besa. “He had never
seen such things before.”
A woolly hat is a welcome Blythswood’s Shoe Box “Dallendyshe always has a
gift for a man who knows Appeal were distributed great smile and radiates He is the youngest of three
what it is to live on the at a rehabilitation centre in positivity,” says Besa. children whose mother fled to
street. Igor (24) comes the Black Sea port of Kherson. “She tries hard to do all that Tirana to escape domestic
from a village in the Lviv she can for her husband and violence but now faces a daily
region of Ukraine. “Igor was so surprised to three children. struggle to provide for her family.
receive your gifts,” says
Unable to find work, he turned shoebox distributor Tanya “Even before the earthquake, “Blythswood has been
to alcohol and soon found Shpygunova. “He told me their living conditions were blessing us with these boxes
himself homeless. He had just that he longs to return to his poor, but she hasn’t lost hope for 20 years,” Besa says.
started to turn his life around home village and see his for her three children. “Children receive them with
when gift boxes from young son.” Her name means swallow and such a big smile that it is hard
just as the arrival of that bird to describe in words.”
4 The love and care with which you fill your shoebox will touch the heart of someone in need 5
Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
Petya with her calendar: in each box Blythswood provides a Bible story book Aida, Ketrin and Valentina with their mum: your practical gifts bring joy
for children, a booklet for teenagers or a calendar for adults and gratitude to families living below the breadline
SIMPLE GIFTS ALL USEFUL TO YOUR GIFTS HELP THEM FORGET
WIDOW IN BULGARIA THEIR POVERTY
Petya wears all her clothes at tape measure. That made bible and reads it and
home because she is cold. her smile because she used sometimes goes to church. Aida (5), Ketrin (6) and “Their dad doesn’t live with “We wish we could show you
When Zhani Slavcheva to knit and sew to support We prayed and read with her Valentina (7) lined up with them,” reports shoebox what your gifts mean to them,
visited the widow in Sliven, her family while her late the calendar’s verse for their mum in the winter distributor Irmus Buraine. how much joy and gratitude
Bulgaria, the electricity was husband spent his wages on February: Come unto me, sunshine of Hungary’s “They’re really hard up they bring to tired, desperate
disconnected and there was alcohol. She said God knew all ye that labour and are heavy southern great plain to for money.” people. Even if only for a short
no wood for the stove. she had no reels of thread laden, and I will give you rest. receive gifts from time, you have helped them
and had sent her some. Blythswood’s Shoe Béla Szedmák, another forget their loneliness, poverty
“We gave her two boxes and “She was as excited as a “We left Patya with boxes Box Appeal. Their youngest distributor in the same area, and fear of the future.”
the first thing she saw were child, rummaging through for her daughter, son-in-law sister, four-month-old wants to thank shoebox
sanitary pads,” Zhani says. her box and discovering and the expected baby. She Csenge, isn’t in the picture donors. “In today’s world not
“She said they would be for three pairs of socks and a was thankful for our visit and because she was taking a many people have compassion
her daughter who was beautiful scarf. for the people who sent nap in their grandma’s for the poor,” he says. “But you
expecting a baby a month later. those nice boxes, but most run-down house, where they have shown once again that
“Then she found a sewing set “And she was pleased to see of all thankful to God for all share one tiny room. your heart is full of love.
with threads, needles and a the calendar as she has a His mercy.”
6 Order shoebox leaflets online at www.shoeboxappeal.org Get your shoebox leaflet now – call 01349 830777 7
Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
shoeboxappeal.org Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
Your gifts made Christmas
By filling a box for come early for Valer
Blythswood’s Shoe Box and his family
Appeal, you help
SOAP, SHAMPOO, families trapped in
under-rewarded work
A day with dad – Prisoners
and poverty
TOOTHPASTE HELP meet their children to open
FAMILIES IN KOSOVO Blythswood boxes
Firjona is five years old, children struggle to feed their recycling sector earned between
Valtrimi is three and Valtrina family by recycling aluminium 50 and 100 euros per month, Valer is in prison in Satu shoeboxes with his family “The kids really loved the
is not yet two. If they have and plastics. A quick internet with children often assisting Mare, Romania, serving a at a special event called sweets and toys, especially
shoes, they were not search backs up this scenario their parents in the hazardous sentence of two years and A Day with Dad. a little car. For the men, the
wearing them when Faton with news site france24.com work. The result is missed eight months. He would be personal hygiene items were
Berisha delivered referencing a report from 2018: school and further stigmatisation allowed to see his wife and “It is organised by our partner most important but
Blythswood shoeboxes to almost half of all households in of ethnic minorities, especially two children every week but organisation, the Union of everything in their boxes
their one-roomed home in a the Balkan state have no Roma families. Working with as they live 150 kilometres Christian Men,” says Balazs was really useful.”
village near the city of refuse collection, which rubbish does not build respect. away and have no money Csiszer, executive director of
Gjakova, Kosovo. creates an opportunity for “The mother of these children they can only afford to visit Blythswood Romania.
families like these. said that the shoeboxes are so once a month. “The prisoners were allowed
Like several other families helpful to them,” Faton says. to meet with their families
who received gifts from But it comes at considerable “Especially toiletries such So it was a red letter day when under supervision in
Blythswood’s 2019 Shoe Box cost: it was estimated that as soap, shampoo he was allowed to share the a restaurant.
Appeal, the parents of these workers in the unregulated and toothpaste.” joy of opening Blythswood
8 Bring Some Joy – Watch Blythswood’s new Shoe Box Appeal video on 9
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Slava knows that BRAND NEW
somebody
cares GIFTS FOR FAMILY
“Somebody thinks
I’m important!” WHO RECYCLE TO
That’s the conclusion
Slava draws when he is
presented with a shoebox
full of useful gifts.
SURVIVE
When you’re the youngest of
When he lost his parents, eight children, you know
many years ago, his uncle what it is to come far down
placed him in an orphanage, the pecking order.
and later he was transferred
to another. And when your mum and dad
depend on collecting cans and
Now aged 41, he shares plastics to feed their family,
a home in a village in hardship is an everyday reality,
northern Moldova with even if you’re not aware of it at
four other men affected the age of three.
by disabilities. He likes to
wash the dishes at So you can only imagine how
home, and plays the thrilled Omar was to receive a
whistle in church. box full of brand new things all
for himself. “The gifts that
When you fill a box for really caught his attention
Blythswood’s Shoe were sweets, a colouring
Box Appeal, your act of book and pens, and a T-shirt,”
kindness is something reports Faton Berisha who
unique and personal, distributed boxes in the city
showing a disadvantaged of Gjakova, Kosovo.
adult or child that they
are not forgotten. “We were able to give a box
to each person in the
household. Toiletries, and hats
and gloves to keep them warm
By filling a shoebox, in winter are most helpful to a
you send a powerful family like this, living in When you fill a box with new
message to someone like poverty. Most of the children things, you are providing an
Slava, showing that they don’t go to school because of incredible experience for
are not forgotten their economic situation.” a child such as Omar
10 You can donate online – go to www.blythswood.org/donate-to-shoe-box-appeal 11
Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
health problems. At twelve
months they could neither hold
up their heads, nor sit, nor grip
something with their hands.
And during that first year of
being a mother, Lyudmila
suffered some crushing blows.
Her husband died suddenly of
pneumonia when the boys
were just three months old.
Then her mother who had
been such a support to her
also passed away.
Happy family: your gifts bring joy to Lyudmila and her boys Left alone to bring up with two
children with serious disabilities,
SWEETS HELP MOTHER TO Lyudmila pours her endless
love and patience into teaching
MOTIVATE HER TWINS her boys the most basic
mobility skills. “She was so
‘You can have one if basic – to incentivise her six- glad to receive your Christmas
you’re good.’ year-old twins to crawl. gifts,” says Tanya Shpygunova
who distributes Blythswood
How often have you used At first doctors had attributed shoeboxes in Ukraine. “She
sweets to reward your children Vanya and Nikiti’s slow loved the sweater and hat, but
or grandchildren? development to their premature especially the sweets because
birth at 33 weeks. But eventually for the sake of the sweets
Lyudmila uses them it became apparent that Vanya and Nikita are ready to Your gifts of shaving soap and razors are a rare luxury for Joska
for something even more the children had serious crawl hard.”
WHERE SHAVING SOAP AND
BASIC GIFTS HELP SCHOOL RAZORS ARE RARE COMMODITIES
CHILDREN IN SERBIA
Joska’s standard of living “His was one of several most are shaving soap and
Djurdje lives in Palic, Serbia. He loves school and was would be unrecognisable to homes for which Blythswood razors. For him these are
really pleased to get a note book and pencils in his most people in Europe. provided ceramic stoves many rare commodities.”
Blythswood shoebox. For families like his, providing even He used to keep a pig and years ago,” says Adrian Popa,
the basic items that the children need for school can be thought nothing of taking who directs Blythswood’s Some of Joska’s children
a challenge. a sow and piglets into work in the Banat region and grandchildren have
his house. That’s in the past. of Romania. “He still uses benefited from Talita Kum,
His little brothers were delighted with the toys and warm Nowadays whatever scraps it today. Blythswood’s afterschool
clothes they found in their boxes. His dad Nebojsa explained of food he finds in other programme that aims to break
the family’s philosophy to shoebox distributor David Armus, people’s bins he uses to “Each year when we bring him the generational cycle of
Be happy with what you have: Djurdje saying, “We try to be happy with what we have, and not to feed himself. a shoebox, the items he prizes illiteracy and poverty.
shares his dad’s positive outlook on life be unhappy because of things we don’t have.”
You can donate online – go to
12 Donate today – call 01349 830777 Mon to Fri 9am – 5pm www.blythswood.org/donate-to-shoe-box-appeal
13
Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org Blythswood News shoeboxappeal.org
A DAY OF PRAYER FOR
BLYTHSWOOD CARE
Wednesday 16th
September 2020
Something new and unused
When it’s really cold outside, Rosen’s grandfather had
Rosen’s world is confined to recently been released from
his parents’ bed. His game prison and was trying to
is to look out the window. repair his small house which
His aunt and uncle’s bed is a is home to ten people.
few feet away and Rosen is Zhani says: “Amidst these
forbidden to go there. Two difficult conditions, the family
12 Hours of Prayer for There is power in prayer not beds, a smoky stove, a dirty is happy and the children
Blythswood Care (9am – 9pm) because of who we are, or window – that is his world. are grateful for even the
because of the organisation we smallest things.”
2020 has reminded us of our represent, but because of who 16 But now the three-year-old has Rosen with his motorbike
dependence on God and the God is and because of what a new game – playing with
necessity of prayer. Jesus has done. For your diary his motorbike! “When he
Wed 16th Sept opened the shoebox and saw it,
be united in praying
On Wednesday 16th For our Day of Prayer he was wildly happy,” says
for the people and
September, we’re encouraging 12 hour leaflet, or to find Zhani Slavcheva. “It was an
projects of
supporters from across the out more, please visit Blythswood Care. unforgettable experience for
world to be united in praying for blythswood.org/prayer-diary him to have his own toy,
the people and projects of or email something that is unused by
Blythswood Care. mairi.ferrier@blythswood.org his older relatives.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in “Of course he was happy
all circumstances; for this is the will of God in about the scarf, hat and pencils
Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) but the motorcycle really Bulgaria, December 2019:
amazed him.” Rosen’s grandparents outside their home
14 Get your shoebox leaflet now – call 01349 830777 Order shoebox leaflets online at www.shoeboxappeal.org 15
Blythswood News - From the Chief Executive
YES, WE ARE SENDING SHOEBOXES THIS YEAR!
The global pandemic has Yes, simple gifts like these
devastated families at home really are invaluable to people
and abroad, especially those in need. As one shoebox
who have been unwell, have distributor in Hungary wrote:
lost loved ones or have “In today’s world not many
experienced redundancy. people have compassion for
the poor, but you have shown
Thanks to your generosity, once again that your heart is
Blythswood Care has been full of love. We wish we could
able to continue its vital work show you what your gifts mean
during lockdown, feeding to them, how much joy and
those in greatest need in the gratitude they bring to tired,
communities in which desperate people.”
we work.
Please fill a shoebox again this
Those worst affected are year. In these challenging Kosovo, December 2019:
those who live hand to mouth. times I can assure you it will be “The mother of these children said
For them, no work means a huge blessing to all who that the shoeboxes are so helpful to
no food. For their sake, receive your generous gifts. them, especially toiletries such as
Blythswood’s 2020 Shoe Box soap, shampoo and toothpaste.”
Appeal must go ahead. See page 8.
For them, the gift of a box full
of essential, everyday items
is more helpful than ever.
"...we must help
Soap, shampoo and toothpaste
for a young family in Kosovo the weak and
who survive on sifting rubbish remember the words
(see page 8).
of the Lord Jesus,
Needles, threads and a tape
measure for a grandmother in
how he himself
Bulgaria who loves to sew said, 'It is more
(page 6).
blessed to give
A packet of sweets for a young than to receive.'"
widow in Ukraine who struggles
to motivate her twins, born James Campbell (Acts 20:35)
with disability (page 12). Chief Executive
Blythswood Care, Deephaven, Evanton, Ross-shire IV16 9XJ
Tel. 01349 830777 info@blythswood.org www.blythswood.org
Blythswood Care is registered with and regulated by Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR): SC048001 and a
company limited by guarantee: 583493. Registered under Data Protection no. Z7689978. Blythswood Care
is a member of the Evangelical Alliance. Printed on paper manufactured from sustainably managed forestry, using
vegetable based ink. Please pass it on once you have read it, or recycle it. Blythswood aims for good stewardship of
God’s earth and reflects this is in the selection and disposal of all materials used in the organisation’s business.
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