Christians provide Christmas cheer for poor in Pakistan

(December 12, 2009) Catholics and Protestants have mounted a joint Christmas campaign, at a church they share, to help needy widows. Since the beginning of Advent, Catholic and Protestant youths have been manning a collection point they set up at Calvary Church in Pahar Ganj, a Christian neighbourhood in North Nazimabad Town, Karachi. Various Christian denominations share Calvary Church in this southern metropolis. The collected donations of food and clothing are being stored in a hall they also use for conventions. Blessed Christian Foundation (BCF), a coalition of 25 Churches, launched the ecumenical donation drive on December 4^th. The Catholic youth said the donations will be given to 70 widows on December 20. However it is not the only Christian organization working to help widows. The pastoral team of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore, north eastern Pakistan, is also continuing an annual tradition of distributing gift hampers of basic commodities to widows around Christmas. The church has also organised a lottery where the returns from the sale of tickets will be used for the purpose. Meanwhile, younger members of St. Joseph's Church in Hyderabad are collecting food hampers and bottles of mineral water for tribal people in the Thar Desert, along Pakistan's south eastern border with India.