Edenred and Delicard® customers make dreams come true

In the spring of 2021, our Managing Director Peter Hiltunen (right) handed over a 189 186 € donation to SOS-Lapsikylä (SOS Children's Village) on behalf of Edenred and Delicard® customers, which rose to a total of 235 800 € during the rest of the year (updated on June 9, 2022). The donation was received by SOS-Lapsikylä's Project Designer Päivi Häikiö (center) and Business Cooperation Manager Annemi Usva-Vänttinen (left).

Edenred and Delicard® customers make hundreds of dreams come true

The donated amount was collected by the redeemers of Delicard® gift cards, as they had chosen the SOS-Lapsikylä 'Unelmista totta' (Dreams to Reality) hobby support as their gift to be redeemed. The donation amount was significant for the organization, and it is said to enable the hobby for up to 500 children. Päivi and Annemi say that they have received wonderful feedback, and many parties have congratulated and rejoiced on their behalf. This shows how important the project really is.

SOS-Lapsikylä's hobby support helps children and young people from families in challenging situations, for whom it would not otherwise be possible to start or continue a hobby. It can be a short-term or longer need for support due to various life situations, each applicant for support is reviewed in terms of his or her personal situation. Transport is always based on the child, his wishes, and interests. No limits are set for him, within which the dream should sit.

The significant donation came at just the right time

The donation could not have come at a better time. Due to the effects of Covid, there has been an even more pressing need for support, and the demand has grown both directly from families and from entities cooperating with SOS-Lapsikylä, such as municipalities, school curators, family social workers, and organizers of hobby activities. The operation is being expanded strongly and new municipalities are joining the scope of the operation.

There are more than 100,000 children living in low-income families in Finland. It puts them in a very unequal position also in terms of hobby opportunities. Hobby support is primarily aimed at 7-17-year-olds, and the scope of the activity also aims to find those who would not have the opportunity to do a hobby without support. SOS-Lapsikylä wants to offer children the opportunity to grow to the extent of their own potential.

"Hobbies have an empowering effect on the child and it promotes their development and the discovery of their own strengths. At best, the effect is lifelong", says SOS-Lapsikylä project designer Päivi Häikiö.

The significance of the project carries far into the future

Hobby support covers a wide range of different hobbies. For example, in addition to football, horse riding, floorball and playing lessons, the activities have also been able to be expanded to, for example, the theater hobby. Now the SOS-Lapsikylä can increase its opportunities even more and make even more dreams come true, because donations are a tangible way to grant even more positive support decisions.

The importance of support is also emphasized at the societal level, as hobbies act as a critical pillar of support for many, prevent marginalization and enable personal development and the building of a social environment. In addition to making dreams come true and financial help, families can get hope in difficult situations from the support.

"Our goal is that every child and young person gets the support they need to grow to their full potential. Edenred and the benefactors who donated their Delicard® gift cards for the children are now helping. The donation enables the hobby for hundreds of children for the whole year. A big thank you to this huge group of people who wanted to support children suffering from the burden of the corona pandemic," says Annemi Usva-Vänttinen, SOS-Lapsikylä's business cooperation manager.

Children's dreams come true – together

SOS-Lapsikylä wants to emphasize that it enables dreams to come true together with all partners, families, and donors – the chain of helping takes the support concretely all the way to the destination. Individuals can also offer their help directly through their website. Even the smallest help is worth its weight in gold.

"For a child from a family struggling with financial challenges, this donation guarantees a meaningful hobby, meaningful activities and contacts with safe adults. I would like to sincerely thank our customers, whose individual donations accumulated such an impressive amount. It's really touching that thousands of people chose to use their gift cards to prevent the development of exclusion of children and young people," says Peter Hiltunen, Managing Director of Edenred Finland Oy.

We at Edenred want to thank all our Delicard® customers and those who donated to SOS-Lapsikylä, together we can make dreams come true!