Lajos was delighted with a new hat and gloves

Lajos got home for Christmas! After spending all year in a children’s home, he and his brother and sister were allowed to return to the two-roomed village dwelling which is shared by their grandparents, father and step-mother in rural eastern Hungary.

Without a bathroom and with a smoky atmosphere from grandpa’s cigarettes, the family’s living conditions are judged to be unhealthy for the children. Their father’s minimal wage as a street sweeper holds no promise for a house of their own. But he obtained permission for the children to return in December. When all is said and done, there’s no place like home.

And then there was that moment of excitement when the children each received a box full of gifts from Blythswood’s Shoe Box Appeal. The volunteer who delivered your presents observed Lajos’ delight at all its contents, especially the cap and gloves. “He asked me to thank you so much for the lovely Christmas gift,” she said.