This Christmas, as every year, the Hungarian Jesuits, together with the JRS, volunteers, students, parish communities, and partners across borders, has organized the so called Shoebox Campaign for children and families living in vulnerable situation. This year More than 850 Christmas gifts were delivered before Christmas time to children Hungary to families supported by the Jesuit Refugee Service, and to communities beyond Hungary’s borders.

The Shoebox Campaign invites individuals, communities, schools, and institutions to prepare a Christmas gift for a child in need. Participants fill a simple shoebox with small but meaningful items—such as sweets, school supplies, hygiene products, and personal gifts—tailored to a child’s age and gender. What begins as a modest, practical gesture becomes a tangible sign of care, dignity, and solidarity.

Rooted in the Jesuit commitment to accompaniment and social justice, the campaign seeks not only to deliver gifts, but also to strengthen relationships with children and families living in vulnerable situations. By involving volunteers, students, parish communities, and partners across borders, the Shoebox Campaign connects people who may never meet, yet are united by a shared desire to make Christmas a moment of joy and hope for every child.

Cross-border solidarity

For the first time, the Shoebox Campaign also reached children abroad. A total of 200 gift packages were delivered across borders to participants of this year’s Roots Camp, their siblings, and other children in their communities. Many of these children live in very modest circumstances, often as part of large families. The packages were distributed in Subcarpathia, Southern Hungary, Upper Hungary, and Transylvania, thanks to close cooperation with local partners.

Fifty shoeboxes were distributed to children of families accompanied by the Jesuit Refugee Service during its Christmas celebration on 15 December. This year, each box included not only sweets, but also colouring books, coloured pencils, and a Christmas mug. We thank all donors, as well as the staff and volunteers of the Jesuit Refugee Service, for their commitment and care.

Christmas in Arló

The largest part of the campaign reached Arló, a Hungarian village next to the border with Slovakia, where more than 500 shoeboxes arrived on 18 December. Gifts were distributed to kindergarten children, lower-grade pupils of the local primary school, and children participating in the Jelenlét (Presence) Programme. Thanks to corporate support, older pupils also received hygiene gift packages.

The distribution took place in a festive and personal atmosphere. Children gathered by class and group at the Jelenlét House and in the kindergarten, where volunteers and local staff shared Christmas carols with them. In the afternoon, volunteers visited children who were unable to attend school or programmes that day, ensuring that no one was left out. The day concluded with a shared Christmas celebration at the Jelenlét House.