Christmas is a time to celebrate and feast. We decorate our homes with light and colour. We seek warmth and comfort at the coldest and darkest time of the year.
But not everyone can share this joy. Many people have no place to call home. They may be homeless, staying in temporary accommodation, or live on the streets.
Or they may be one of the many who flee their homes and the country they call home, to seek safety and sanctuary in a new place.
‘Home for Christmas’ is our Christmas Appeal to stand alongside those who are homeless and far from home.
How you can take part
Donate to our Home for Christmas Appeal as we raise funds for two local projects which support those who seek a safe lodging, a place to call home.
You can donate online, in church or by using the Gift Envelopes which accompany the travelling image (see below)
Welcome the image of the Holy Family which will make its way across South Cardiff Ministry Area, stopping in homes, schools and other places.
Each image will provide an opportunity for reflection and prayer for those who seek home.
Our Christmas Charities
Wallich
Wallich is a homeless charity which works across Cardiff and throughout Wales. They believe that everyone deserves the right to a home but also that everyone deserves the right to feel safe, valued and positive about their future.
The Wallich operates under three core objectives: getting people off the streets, keeping people off the streets, and creating opportunities for people.
Croeso Butetown
Croeso Butetown is part of the Community Sponsorship of Refugees whose aim is to establish groups to welcome, home and support a refugee family in their community for up to two years.
As we seek a house, rising rental costs will mean that the family we welcome to Butetown will need more financial support, and so we are extending our fundraising campaign.
At Home with the Holy Family
They arrive after an arduous journey in Bethlehem seeking shelter and hospitality, a home from home. Soon after, with a baby in their arms, they will flee to a foreign land, escaping danger and death, finding sanctuary far from home.
Throughout Advent and during the twelve days of Christmas, two very different images of the Holy Family will be making their way through the communities of South Cardiff.
Each will provide a distinct image of those who are seeking a place to call home.
Going Home
The first image is of Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem. It’s inspired by the ‘Las Posadas’ celebrations of Latin-America. There, it’s a time of pageant and prayer as communities reenact the journey of Mary and Joseph who seek a safe lodging or, in Spanish, ‘posada’.
This image becomes a beautiful focus for prayer and devotion, drawing us closer to Christ, and preparing us to welcome him into our hearts and homes.
However, our prayers and thoughts will also be turned to those who are homeless in our own day – individuals and families who experience housing insecurity, those who are in temporary or inadequate accommodation, people who move from place to place, and those who sleep on our streets.
This image sets off on its travels on Advent Sunday 3rd December.
Check out the Going Home web page, which features prayers, videos, reflections and more information about our Christmas Charities.
Leaving Home
The second image is of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as they journey from Bethlehem to Egypt. They travel as refugees, seeking safety and sanctuary, far away from danger and threats of death.
As we look upon this image, our hearts turn to the experiences of those who are refugees in our own day. We can listen to their stories, appreciate their journey, grow in compassion and love for them, and offer them welcome and support.
This image sets off on its travels on Christmas Day.
Coming soon: the Leaving Home web page, which features prayers, videos, reflections and more information about our Christmas Charities.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 