Wish tree campaign in Erding: Joy for foster children at Christmas!

Wish tree campaign in Erding: Joy for foster children at Christmas!

During Advent, a sign of hope and charity is once again set in Bavaria. The Erding district office is once again holding the popular wishing tree campaign this year, where all citizens are cordially invited to become part of this beautiful tradition. District Administrator Martin Bayerstorfer emphasizes the importance of this campaign, which is particularly dedicated to the wishes of children from foster families. This is about bringing joy to the little ones during the Christmas season and fulfilling their heart's desires. The campaign has become established over the years and shows how strong voluntary commitment is in the region.

What do the children want? The palette is colorful and ranges from creative toys and books to Playmobil knight figures and Schleich dinosaurs for the youngest children to vouchers for books, toy shops and clothing for older children. “We are particularly happy to receive vouchers from local retailers,” explains a spokesman for the district office, to support regional trade. The specific wishes can be found on the website landkreis-erding.de/wunschbaum can be viewed.

Wishing tree campaign by the Buntes Herz Foundation

In addition to the campaign in the Erding district, there are other wonderful initiatives that support children in need. The Buntes Herz Foundation is also launching a wish tree campaign at Christmas time. Here small dreams of children and families can be fulfilled. Here, too, it becomes clear that the wishes represent real needs or long-held longings.

Cards with the children's ages and their wish descriptions are hung on wishing trees placed in local stores and facilities. Supporters can easily select a wish, get the gift or even donate online. The gifts are handed over to the families in time for Christmas, which makes the personal commitment of the helpers all the more valuable. Those interested can find detailed information about the campaign on the website stiftungbuntesherz.de.

A look outside the box: example from Bonn

And a similar amount of heart is shown in other cities too. In the Bornheim town hall in North Rhine-Westphalia, the “Christmas Wish Tree” campaign awakened a particularly large number of wishes this year. A total of 318 requests were received here, 36 more than last year. Social welfare office manager Cornelia Löwe reports that these are the most requests that have ever been received. According to Mayor Christoph Becker, all wishes were fulfilled - a great result and a sign of solidarity! An unusual wish in Bonn was a ukulele, while many other children had dolls, footballs and remote-controlled cars on their wish lists.

Fulfilling these wishes is not possible without the generous donations from private individuals and various organizations. In Bonn, too, the campaign promotes personal commitment and shows how small actions can create great joy. Donors experience a sense of community when they see the gifts getting to the children.

So if you want to do something good during Advent, you have several options to do so. Whether in Erding or through the Buntes Herz Foundation – everyone can help and make a small contribution to making Christmas a special celebration for children. The gifts must be delivered to the district office in Erding by December 12, 2025 at the latest. Donors also have the option of receiving a donation receipt.