Winter survival kit
Buy a Winter Survival Kit World Gift and make a life-saving difference to a family during harsh winter weather.
A family shares food in Afghanistan
“I feel sorry for all these people: they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. ”
The compassion of Jesus shines out from this reading. Having spent three days healing the sick, he now notices the hunger of the crowd and miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish until all are fed.
In our world there are too many people who have little or nothing to eat. Omar* lives in a remote, mountainous part of Afghanistan with his wife and six children. Severe droughts have destroyed farmland, leaving many families living on the edge. Food prices have risen sharply.
He tells us: “Life has been tough with the droughts this year. Some days we have been left no choice but to eat grass. This has made my son and wife sick.”
With your support, Omar and his family have received cash to buy basic supplies in preparation for winter when it can get as cold as -25°C in the mountains. Omar explains:
“Currently we have some provisions to make bread, because of the cash distribution programme. With the first round I bought essentials for our home like wood, gas, heaters and blankets for my family to use. This made me feel safe knowing we will be ready for winter.”
Together with Isaiah’s feast in our first reading, the story of the loaves and fish reminds us that there is enough to go around if we have open, generous hearts that refuse to be satisfied until no one is left hungry or cold.
*Name has been changed to protect his identity.
Advent prayer
Compassionate Christ,
you reach out to us in love.
Open our eyes to the needs of our hungry world
and make us generous in our response.
Amen.
Act
Give a World Gift to someone you love and enable a vulnerable family to purchase food, warm clothing, blankets and fuel with a winter survival kit.