In addition to its year-round assistance programs, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid responds to the changing needs of each season. Every year from January to the end of March, we run our Good Samaritan Program (Felebarát), providing support for families living in deep poverty, elderly people living alone, and people experiencing homelessness.

Winter often brings severe cold, making it especially difficult for those living in inadequately heated homes or without shelter. According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, poverty and inadequate housing are the leading causes of deaths related to hypothermia. On average, around 60% of hypothermia-related deaths occur indoors, most likely in people’s homes, while approximately 40% occur outdoors.

The aim of the Good Samaritan Program is to provide increased support to those most in need during the winter months, including families facing financial hardship, elderly people living alone, individuals experiencing housing insecurity, and people without a home.

In Budapest, together with the Reformed Homeless Mission, we operate a weekly tea outreach, delivering hot tea and sandwiches to people living on the streets and in wooded areas. Alongside this street ministry, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid organizes hot meal distributions across the country, providing more than 2,000 hot meals every winter to people in crisis.

The program also includes the distribution of essential donations. Every year, we provide firewood worth several million Hungarian forints to households where keeping their homes warm would otherwise be at risk.