The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid launched its Christmas Dream program in 2019 to help make the wishes of children living in difficult circumstances come true. Through an online platform, supporters can choose a child’s Christmas wish and either purchase the requested gift or donate its value online. Since the program began, more than 13,000 children’s Christmas dreams have come true.

Each autumn, we collect the Christmas wishes of children growing up in poverty or vulnerable circumstances. Their wishes are published online in November, and throughout the Advent season anyone can choose to fulfil a child’s dream.

Here are just a few examples:

“My name is Zsolti, and I am 11 years old. My mother is raising the five of us on her own. She cannot afford to buy shoes for everyone, so my Christmas wish is a pair of winter boots to keep my feet warm during the cold months.”

“My name is Oszkár. I would really love a football because I have joined the Bozsik football program and I want to practise, but my parents cannot afford to buy me one.”

“My name is Zsanett. I live with my grandparents. My grandfather is disabled and my grandmother has been caring for him for many years. We live on his disability pension. I love reading, but I don’t own any books. My Christmas wish is a large illustrated book so that I can read stories aloud to my grandparents in the evenings.”

These are just three of the thousands of Christmas dreams that have already been fulfilled through the program.

When the initiative was first launched in 2019—then under the name Wish List—our goal was to bring Christmas joy to 500 children. Over the following seven Christmas seasons, thanks to the generosity of thousands of supporters, more than 13,000 children living in deep poverty have received the gift they had been dreaming of.

True to its name, the Christmas Dream program is surrounded by a sense of mystery from beginning to end. In early autumn, children are invited to take part in fun activities during which they casually share their biggest dream with our staff—without ever realizing that someone may soon make that wish come true.

Once all the wishes have been collected, they are published on our online platform in October, where supporters can browse the children’s dreams and choose the one they would like to fulfil.

After reserving a wish, donors can either purchase the gift themselves and deliver it to one of our designated collection points, or simply donate the value of the gift through a secure online payment. In the latter case, our staff purchase the present on behalf of the donor.

One final element makes the program especially meaningful. The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid never hands the gifts directly to the children. Instead, the presents are given to their parents, grandparents, or foster parents, allowing them to place the gifts under the Christmas tree themselves. In this way, they experience the joy of saying:

“I made my child’s Christmas dream come true.”