When we think of Christmas, we often picture lights, the smell of gingerbread, and time with family. But for many children and families, it is a season of worry — worry about whether there will be a gift under the tree, food on the table, rent paid, school supplies bought, or medicine available.
Give a Smile 2025 has shown that even a small act of giving can light up someone’s heart with hope, and that solidarity is not just a nice phrase — it is an action that overcomes fear, loneliness, and helplessness.
This year marked the 12th edition of this initiative — days when all of Slovakia (and also European partners from the Salesian family) came together to give something that money cannot buy: hope, respect, and humanity.
More than Numbers — Thousands of Smiles and Hundreds of Life Stories
The results of Give a Smile 2025 speak for themselves — and behind every number is a real person, a real struggle, and a real smile.
🌟Over 1,500 children received direct support and a gift under the Christmas tree.
For many of these children, it was not just a present — it was a moment when they realized that someone cares, that their life has value, and that the world can be kinder than it often seems.
🏠 More than 300 families received personalized support, carefully coordinated with mentors and social workers who work with these families year-round. This help is never anonymous or random — it addressed the real needs of each family: basic necessities, energy, food, clothing, shoes, medicine, school supplies, and tools for a dignified life.
🛋️ Over 90 major household appliances were delivered to households where they make daily life easier — refrigerators, washing machines, stoves…. These appliances are more than just devices — they are tools for dignity, health, and family stability.
Help That Lasts All Year — 2026 and Beyond
Give a Smile does not end on December 6 — it begins a new year full of opportunities.
This year, it ensured financial support continuing throughout 2026 in two key areas:
🎓 Education for young people in Salesian centers in Prešov and Žilina, who study and live in the dormitories — support covering: travel for school activities, school supplies and materials, dormitory costs, educational courses and workshops.
This support provides not only knowledge, but also a chance to change their lives, find a profession, or a path toward a dignified future.
👭 Year-round educational and integration program for:
• girls from Roma families,
• girls from disadvantaged Slovak families,
• Ukrainian girls who arrived in Slovakia after the outbreak of war.
This program is not just a course — it is a purposeful path for building confidence, skills, friendships, and opportunities. It is an investment in the future, free from prejudice and focused solely on potential.
Give a Smile — A Journey of Love and Solidarity
Give a Smile is not just a project that distributes gifts. It is a movement of voluntary people who believe in concrete help, who are not afraid to face reality, and who understand that every person has value.
Every smile we share today is a promise that we will not stand by idly.
Every gift given this year is a kindness for the soul.
And every investment in education and integration is a step toward a fairer and more compassionate society.
Give a Smile — because every person deserves to feel seen, valued, and loved.
