By Rev Fiona Bennett

Each Advent, Augustine United Church makes gifts to support a number of different projects. We hope this giving and support will continue this year, but perhaps in slightly different forms.

Edinburgh Direct Aid supports Syrian Refugees. We have supported this project for several years and the need for their work is as great as ever. To find out more about their current work and how to support them please click here.

Fresh Start supports people moving from homelessness to housing. We have made donations to Fresh Start in Advent for many years and again their need this year is greater than ever. Please support Fresh Start if you can. For more information about how to support them please click here.

Royal Edinburgh Hospital supports people experiencing mental illness. For many years we have offered the Chaplains small gifts to distribute to patients. This year we would like to give the Chaplains gifts cards with which they can purchase gifts for Christmas or for later in the year.

Christian Aid works to alleviate poverty and build a just world. Most Advents we have raised funds for Christian Aid through a collective Christmas card.

This year to support both the REH and Christian Aid, we would like to ask for financial donations (bank transferred or posted to the Church by Dec 7th, and clearly marked as “Xmas Gift“). We will evenly split the total of the donations between Christian Aid and purchasing gift cards for the Chaplains at the Royal Edinburgh.

Foodbank Tree, finally we are very aware that our local foodbanks are busier than they have ever been. We will decorate our AUC Christmas Tree as a giving tree this year with items that our local food banks are looking for and encourage us all to make donations (financially online or in the collecting points in our local supermarkets) throughout Advent and Christmas.

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