Become a Secret Santa this St Nicholas Day, 6th December
On St Nicholas Day, 6th December, some churches in the UK, and across the globe, commemorate St Nicholas of Myra – a 4th Century Bishop from Turkey – whose journey from Saint to Santa began with his legend for secret gift giving to those in need.
The Rt. Revd. Arun Arora, Bishop of Kirkstall, has written the Archbishop of York's Advent Book Stick with Love, and the reflection today speaks of St Nicholas, and the generosity of giving secretly to those in need.
As one of the founding trustees of Acts 435, the Rt. Revd. Arun Arora said: “St Nicholas Day is an opportunity to reclaim the more secretive aspect of giving and the invitation for each of us to be a Secret Santa – perhaps through random acts of kindness and giving anonymously to people we know or through organised charities such as Acts 435.
“While still a young man Nicholas became known for his generosity to those in need, for rescuing sailors in the Aegean sea, and his concern for the destitute. His Saints Day is marked across the globe each year in different ways, not least in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France, who on 6th December celebrate the festival of Sinter Klass.
“Here in the UK at a time when so many people are in need, Acts 435 puts people who want to help in touch with people who are in need, through a network of churches and local charities. Acts 435 enables virtual, online giving for specific needs. 100% of what is donated via Acts 435 goes directly to those in need. My encouragement to everyone on December 6th, and for this Christmas, is simply: “Be more St Nic!”
In many countries St Nicholas Day is celebrated by filling empty shoes with sweets, nuts and fruit but a gift through Acts 435 can make a bigger difference, helping someone in a crisis or in poverty with a specific item that they so desperately need.
Could you be "more St Nic" and give anonymously towards the specific need of someone who is in need today?
Give to an urgent need today!
The average time for a need to be fully funded is currently 10 days
£200 needed for carpet fitting.
H is a young lad (only 19) with learning disabilities. With help from his family and social services he is setting up his first home. His only income is from benefits, he has no savings and his family have helped as much as they can. To make the property into a home H would love to be able to carpet it (there are none down at present). We can source carpets completely free of charge, we just need a little help fitting them. Thanks for reading this request.
£200 needed for a washing machine
H can no longer work due to surgery, and her husband is unable to work due to an error with his residency status in the UK, which they are waiting to be corrected. H is on benefits, trying her best to support the family herself but is struggling to make ends meet. They could do with some help to get a basic washing machine, as they are currently struggling to keep clothing clean.
£200 needed for a supermarket voucher for summer holidays
C is an amazing mum to two children. Over the summer holiday C has not received a supermarket voucher from the council as she normally does to cover the extra cost of missing free school meals. The council have only just made this announcement so all C’s good budgeting will not be enough to get through. A supermarket voucher will help C and her kids have a good summer without stress of worrying about what they will eat. C is very caring and helps others, she just needs a bit of help.
£200 needed for a bed and mattress
A needs to purchase a new bed and mattress for her son. She is currently setting up her home having experienced domestic abuse over a prolonged period of time. She has needed a lot of support to rebuild her life. A new bed with a mattress will make a big difference in making her son's room feel more homely and thus make him feel more settled and secure.
£200 needed for carpet fitting.
L is a single mum who works part-time with her income being topped up from Universal Credit. She moved house after her private landlord evicted her because he was selling the house. She's now been rehoused with a local social landlord who sadly does not carpet their homes. L is really worried about her energy bills once we move towards autumn/winter. We'd love to able to supply her with a home full of warm, brand new carpets. Just praying a kind donor will help us make that happen.
£200 needed for carpet fitting
N fled Sudan after being subject to terrible abuse and human trafficking. She has now been given leave to remain in the UK and offered her first house with a local housing association. Unfortunately her house isn't carpeted and N is not in a position to be able to afford them (her only income is from benefits and she has no savings). We can provide carpet for her house and turn it into a home completely free of charge. But we need a little help to cover the cost of getting it fitted. Thank you for reading this, we're just praying someone will help.
£175 needed for a reconditioned cooker
T is a single lady who spent over 9 months in hospital last year with cancer. She has been in hospital again and now has Chron’s disease and needs magnesium infusions. She requires a very specific diet and has returned home to her cooker not working. She would be so grateful for any help you could give her in replacing this to help her keep her diet on track and begin to feel better and improve her health as much as possible. She is struggling to save for this herself on her benefits. Thank you.
£140 needed for food vouchers and a mobile phone
C has mental health problems and is unfit for work. He receives Universal Credit but has multiple debt payments to make each month leaving him struggling to meet his general living costs. His phone is broken, making it difficult to maintain contact with those who are trying to support him. Help to buy a replacement phone, and also vouchers to help with food costs would be much appreciated.
£200 needed for a cooker
This young person has regular seizures which result in hospitalisation as they try to stabilise them. This means they cannot work at present. They receive Universal Credit with the limited capacity for work element. Their cooker has broken and they have no funds to replace it. Please will you help? Thank you.