Xmas surprise for 170 kids in Ukraine

Zsuzsanna Bozo
Nov 11
3 min read

Updated: 4 hours ago

The Good Samaritan Children's Home is an orphanage in Velika Dobrony, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. We have set ourselves a challenge to bring personalized gift packs for each kid living here, in December 2025. That is 170 kids. While we are here, we visit the new "Boys' wing", which we supported this year in April.

The Xmas list and "Elf Party"

Who doesn't love getting gifts? There is an even better feeling of GIVING gifts. And that's exactly what we are planning to do on the 10th of December. It's not Xmas just yet, but close. So there will be a huge "Elf in Pajamas" party on the premises. Each kid is to get a fluffy cosy new pajama set, slippers or indoor shoes, and hats to start with. We have their sizes. Planning on some sweets too.

What this means for those giving:

I would like to share with you a story of my lovely neighbour, Zsuzsanna Gubás. She chose to buy a gift pack for Emilia, as her granddaughter is also Emilia. She told me, in 1965, she got her very first proper winter coat in a gift pack, which she received from kind people from the United States. It was a very hard time in Hungary then. She loved this coat so much. It was a red one; she had had it for years. Now she is giving back. It’s not a jacket, it’s a pajama set. But maybe she hopes this kid feels the same, giving forward. She was grateful for the opportunity and for the local team to take care of these children

Our work here

In 2025, the number of children - demand to be taken in hugely increased. The policy to allow only little girls had to be lifted, and a new section was renovated for the little boys. Thanks to our sponsors, we have raised funds to complete the renovations, and just like the nurseries, we designed and fully fitted out a new section for the boys. Since then, it is loved and lived in.

We paid a visit to this lovely place in August 2022, just a few months into the war, with gifts to the newly arrived and long-stay kids. It turned into a dance party :) The gift packages were put together by the Hungarian "Hintalovon Children's Rights Agency.

Background info on the Children's home

The Good Samaritan Children's Home is an orphanage in Velika Dobrony, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine. Established in 1995, the orphanage serves girls of all ages and is operated by the Reformed Church of Transcarpathia.

Children aged 2 to 18 years old are accepted - but only girls, until this year. Admission does not consider creed or ethnic background; only their need for help (i.e., difficult social environment) or those who are seriously handicapped physically or psychologically, orphans, one-parent children, or those in endangered situations. Their parents have given up a significant number of the children. 3–4-year-old children with various medical conditions have come from state orphanages, each one of them diagnosed as mentally and physically handicapped and lacking the ability to speak. Facebook page of the home is here.

The team will be welcomed by Andrea Katko (Director) and Knot Jurjen (Manager, from The Netherlands)

Credit: TV21 Kárpátalja, 2023

Please note. since 2023 december, the number of kids homed here and look after, doubled!

How can you help?

We are planning to raise 7.700 Euro to cover the gifts, packaging and transport.

If you are in the States, please contact Alex Davern, he is managing the collection for those who feel they need a shopping assistant. We are happy to do the purchases on your behalf! alexdavern@gmail.com

If you are in Hungary: Be a Santa for a kid! You just buy a gift set for an entire room (4-8 kids) or for a kid only, and bring it /send it to our collection point in Budapest. We have a full list of names , ages, sizes, you can choose from. Each pack should include: a pajama set, an indoor shoes, hats, and sweets.

Please contact Zsuzsanna Bozo here: directaidforukrainecharity@gmail.com Please refer to Nagydobrony Children's home

Further projects you can contribute to :

1) We are to help furnish a kindergaten in the city of Kharkiv, the hit by a Russian missile and they have lost everything.

2) We hope to furnish new rehabilitation wings for injured soldiers in 6 cities. So far we can cover 5.

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