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“There are two days until Christmas”, “Helping a single mother with 2 children in a difficult time” and “Family with 5 little ones who desperately need help on the wheel” are among the titles of more than 435 ads in which people ask for Christmas help which are available on Finn. not now.
They ask for everything from someone to celebrate Christmas with, to getting support to buy Christmas food, as well as help / donations so that children can receive Christmas gifts. According to Bufdir, child poverty in Norway has tripled since 2001. Around 110,800 children in Norway live in a family with persistently low income.
“For many of the more than 100,000 children who previously lived in poverty, it has gone from bad to worse during the coronary pandemic, and we are concerned about the children,” the secretary general of the City of Mission told TV 2. the Church, Adelheid Firing Hvambsal.
– Through our daily work, we know that children go to bed hungry. Some do not have access to clothing and shoes. In addition, relationships with family and friends, daily school life, children’s physical and mental health, as well as identity development are affected, it continues.
The oldest of the posts still on Finn was not released at the end of October, and new posts were still popping up at high speed on Christmas Eve.
– Double edged sword
But despite the fact that the increase from last year is large, close to 62 percent in the November 21 period. December compared to the previous year, there is another number that has exploded even more strongly: the number of those who want to give something away.
That number is up a whopping 671 percent from last year. On Christmas Eve, there are ads where people say they want to give away everything from clothes to books to Christmas trees.
– It is incredibly positive to see the joy of giving in the population. At the same time, it’s sad to see so many need help, so this is a double-edged sword, Finn Torget’s product director Kathrine Opshaug Bakke tells TV 2.
This is the fourth year Finn has allowed people to post Christmas wishes and offers. Bakke says that although people probably know the service better than before, this alone is not enough to explain the increase:
– Many have realized that this is a difficult year for many and the situation of the people has received a lot of attention in the media. Many also have acquaintances who are or have been laid off or in other situations. One change we see in society is that people are more aware of those who are having a hard time and, at the same time, I think there is more acceptance to ask for help, he says.
The product manager also believes that something else comes into play:
– Many are doing well financially now too, with lower housing rates, favorable loans, and secure jobs. Many who have a lot know enough that they want to give it to someone who doesn’t feel that way this year, he says.
Increased demand
The church city mission states that they, too, are experiencing increased demand this year from those who need support for food and gifts for Christmas.
CONCERNED: Secretary General Adelheid fires Hvambsal from Church City Mission. Photo: Torstein Ihle
– We are most concerned about those who now feel poverty for the first time, and not only at Christmas. How are children and parents doing after Christmas, in everyday life and heading into the summer holidays? Secretary Hvambsal wonders.
In Drammen, the organization has seen a 20 percent increase in families reaching out to get support for Christmas gifts and food.
– Many of those who ask for this help have not asked for it before, says Hvambsal.
Filtering option removed
When TV 2 searched the Finnish advertisements on Christmas Eve, several of them were people inviting lonely people to their homes on Christmas Eve. In previous years, this has been a separate category in Finn, but not this year:
– It is good to see that there is also a lot of consideration for others this year, but inviting people home carries a certain risk of infection, and it is up to each individual to make a decision here, says Bakke.
This year, Finn has chosen to mitigate this possibility, which has been leaked in previous years. That feature has now been removed as a result of the pandemic.
– The most important thing is that people have a good general assessment of what is convenient for them. Several charities offering Christmas celebrations haven’t canceled them this year, but they do it in a different way, Bakke says.
