Christmas 2020 will be different from Christmases past. International and domestic travel restrictions due to the pandemic means for many families, there will be loved ones missing from their celebrations.
This Christmas Save the Children is asking supporters to set an extra place at their table – whether they are missing somebody or not – in acknowledgment of those who can't be home this festive season.
Donations to Save the Children's Christmas Appeal supports the organisations work helping vulnerable children in Australia and all around the world. Through education, shelter, water, food and protection, donations help save and improve children's lives.
Paul Ronalds, CEO of Save the Children Australia said:
"We are asking Australians to set an empty place at the table this festive season to acknowledge that not everybody can be together right now.
"The idea is to encourage people to think about giving a meaningful gift, in the form of a Christmas eCard which supports Save the Children's work in Australia and overseas. The empty place enables people to turn a negative into a positive and dedicate the place at the table to a hungry child.
"An ordinary gift just doesn't feel enough this year. People are wanting to do more to give back or pay it forward. This is an affordable, thoughtful way for Australians to do just that."
Once supporters make a donation, they are sent a heart-warming Christmas eCard that they can forward onto a friend or relative to let them know about the donation made on their behalf.
"As it is an eCard it also makes a great last-minute gift idea that's also socially and environmentally conscious. Across the globe, the impacts of climate change and COVID-19 have thrown unprecedented challenges and pressures onto already strained health systems and fragile economies," Mr Ronalds said.
"At the same time, 11 million children under five are at risk of extreme hunger or starvation in countries like Yemen and South Sudan, which are on the brink of famine.
"More and more people are in need of urgent help from organisations like Save the Children. This is a great way to do your bit and support those in need.
"Don't wait around for a Christmas miracle, make a donation to Save the Children and help us work towards a peaceful and healthful 2021 for everyone."
Save the Children is one of the leading child rights organisations in Australia, working in about 200 sites across the country, and more than 120 countries around the world.
