Words by Smiley Team
As the Covid-19 vaccine is rolled out across the UK, citizens are showing their gratitude for the health and safety this will guarantee them by donating to Christian Aid’s Give Thanks campaign. So far the appeal has raised £130,000 from people giving back to others less fortunate than themselves.
Launched last month, Christian Aid’s latest appeal allows individuals to act on the sense of relief they are feeling and pass the good fortune on by supporting others in crisis who are more vulnerable to the virus because they are at an economic disadvantage.
Christian Aid’s head of public engagement, Chine McDonald, said: “I am absolutely delighted when I hear of anyone getting the vaccine – whether I know them or not. Each person protected against this horrific virus symbolises us getting one step closer to the end of this nightmare.
“The appeal we’ve launched proves that other people feel the same and want to pass on that good fortune to others. The donations reflect not just people’s gratitude for their vaccine but offer a clear example of their desire to help those for whom the vaccine is still not available. It has really hit a chord with our supporters.
She also expressed her gratitude to the Church of England dioceses and local church groups who have set up their own fundraising pages to show thanks as they receive vaccines.
“It is wonderful to see how their generosity towards those in the communities around the world in which Christian Aid works has contributed to this £130,000 total,” she said. “As increasing numbers of us get called for our vaccines, we’re hoping that more and more people will give thanks for their vaccines by giving to our appeal.”
Money raised in the appeal is going to vulnerable communities around the world so they can access sanitary products, water, food and health information while Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc for people’s lives and livelihoods.
Many communities around the world remain vulnerable to Covid-19, as they face problems accessing and delivering the vaccine. Oxfam has warned that in poorer countries around 9 out of 10 people will miss out on the vaccine this year unless urgent action is taken.
So far Christian Aid’s partner organisations have assisted over half a million people in 27 different countries. This support includes distributing food parcels to nearly 60,000 people struggling to put food on the table for their families, many of whom have lost work during the lockdown and due to the economic crisis.
To build on this support, Christian Aid’s teams are helping the rollout of vaccination programmes in the 29 countries where it operates. They provide data on remote populations to local health services and tackle misinformation about Covid-19 and the vaccination as well as stigma faced by those who get the virus.
To support their work give to Christian Aid’s Coronavirus Appeal.
You can leave a message of thanks for your vaccination and donate to the Give Thanks appeal here.
