ZAGREB, 2 January, 2021 - The Croatian Red Cross (HCK) said on Saturday that over the past three days they had distributed more than 129 tonnes of food in earthquake-hit areas as well as 50,000 litres of water and 21,000 hot meals.

They have also provided 172 heaters, 650 blankets, 39 generators, 700 packets of food and necessities for children as well as ensuring psychosocial support for 1,600 people.

The HCK has also opened two more locations in Petrinja for the accommodation of the people affected, including a service for tracing the missing and psychosocial support.

By 1 January, HRK 36.4 million was donated by physical and legal entities to help those affected by Tuesday's earthquake. Donations are still being collected. A donor line has received 69,169 calls bringing HRK 432,300.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

ZAGREB, 2 January, 2021 - The Croatian Red Cross executive president said on Friday that this charity had to date collected HRK 36 million in donations for people who were left without their home in the 29 December devastating quake which struck the towns of Petrinja, Sisak, Glina and other parts of Sisak-Moslavina County.

We continue receiving donations, the executive president Robert Markt told the Nova TV commercial broadcaster on Friday evening.

Asked why some people whose houses were damaged had not yet received containers or mobile homes to sleep in, Markt explained that the quake-hit area covered over 1,000 square kilometres and 305 settlements and this dispersion of settlements could be a reason.

He said that currently, there was no need for new volunteers but in the coming days they would need fresh force.

"This is the operation that will last long and I would like all interested to apply in a few days, we will include them in the operation."

"We all can be proud of our Civil Protection services, and our system of Homeland Protection," said Markt in his comment on what has been done in the first 72 hours since the devastating quake.

December 30, 2020 – After yesterday's devastating earthquake in Petrinja and Sisak, help comes from another part of the world. Croatians in Canada initiated a fundraiser action GoFundMe and raised over 70,000 dollars so far!

Yesterday's earthquake encouraged people from all over Croatia to collect food and hygiene supplies for people affected by the earthquake, but also to launch much-needed donation actions. Donations started arriving yesterday from neighboring countries (Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia) and other parts of the world, namely, Canada.

The news of the devastating earthquake centered in Petrinja has galvanized the Croatian community in Canada into action. Mirjana Jerkovic, a very active member of the Croatian community in Canada, organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to collect donations for people affected by Croatia's earthquake.

In less than 24 hours, a GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over 70,000 dollars. This fundraiser is trending in Canada and is currently the 7th largest fundraiser taking place in Canada. Close to 700 people have donated to this worthy cause, from Mississauga, other parts of the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, and across Canada.

Mirjana is a long time member of the executive board of the Vatroslav Lisinski Tambura Orchestra of Mississauga, Ontario, and is well known in Croatian folklore circles in Canada. Her husband is a native of Vinkovci.

"Our Canadian-Croatian community is strong and has always helped our Croatian homeland. Let's show our support and donate to those most affected by the horrific earthquake on December 29, 2020. All funds will be donated to families, and we will post delivery! Please share! Bože, čuvaj Hrvatsku," reads her statement at GoFundMe.

Father Marko Štefanec of Holy Cross Croatian parish in Hamilton, Ontario, has produced a video encouraging Croats in Canada to give to those in need due to this earthquake.

"Due to Canadian bureaucracy, it is very difficult for Croatian parishes across Canada to send money outside Canada. Therefore, the best way to help is through these two platforms – fundraisers GoFundMe and Caritas Croatia," says Štefanec in the video below.

You can pay donations via GoFundMe website or through the Caritas Croatia website.

For more, follow today's live updates. To find out how you too can donate money, food, material and humanitarian aid, click here.

November 23, 2020 – Backed by four diligent women, a Croatian donor community on Facebook called Čarolija darivanja (The Magic of Giving) has been giving birthday presents to neglected children and the elderly in nursing homes for five years now with the help of generous donors.

As the most beautiful and noble time of the year, Christmas, approaches, many are already starting to think about what to give to their loved ones. Even the slightest sign of attention given with love can cheer someone up, but what about those people who, unfortunately, can't get that under their tree? In this pre-holiday time, some remember neglected children and people in nursing homes, but what about the rest of the year?

To bring a smile back to their faces for the rest of the year, and not just for Christmas, five years ago a Facebook page called Čarolija darivanja (The Magic of Giving) was launched to enable generous people to give birthday presents to the neediest. These are primarily children in homes for neglected children, as well as in homes without adequate parental care, and grandparents in homes for the elderly and infirm.

Croatians are already known for their generosity, and this commendable action is proof that there are still good people ready to help. This big giving initiative was even recognized for its humanitarian character and won the Ponos Hrvatske (Pride of Croatia) award.

Four diligent women who stand behind this project explain how giving works and therefore how the "magic" is made.

Can you tell us more about this project?

The Magic of Giving is a Facebook page that can be joined by anyone who is able and wants, from the bottom of their heart, to donate presents to a completely unknown person from a children's or nursing home. There are several types of magic happening here – giving, sharing happiness, caring for other people, doing good deeds.

The Magic team consists of four women who – in addition to their jobs, families, children, pets, and everyday life – handle wish lists of children and the elderly and are in contact with their homes, and people who send gifts: Mirta who lives in Barcelona, Silvia who lives in Sarajevo, Marina who lives in Ilok, and Sanja who lives in Zagreb.

Our community, which counts as many as 40,000 followers, recently celebrated its 5th birthday!

How does giving work? Who can participate and how?

At the top of our Facebook page, we have a post titled "How to Participate?" where everything is explained in detail for all the new fairies and elves, as we call people who donate.

Every month, we publish lists of birthday wishes and needs of children from homes or associations, who are without adequate parental care (without parents or growing up with parents, but in an unenviable situation). Sometimes we also publish lists with the common needs of children (for example hygiene supplies, school supplies, etc). We also publish the birthday wishes of the elderly people placed in nursing homes.

At the top of each list is the title (which month and home), and below is a list with ordinal numbers, names/initials of the children and elderly, date of birth, and birthday wishes. People then write in the comments to whom they want to send a present and that’s it. We always recommend that they send sweets and greeting cards with gifts.

All gifts are sent directly to the addresses of the homes, from people to children or elderly, so we only do the communication. For any doubts, the necessary information for sending is written at the bottom of each list, as well as the contact person from the home with a phone number.

From the beginning, we decided that we do not want to have anything to do with money or payment to our accounts (to avoid negative connotations), and this proved to be a great solution.

The "Magic" team: Marina, Sanja, Silvia, and Mirta / Private archive

Where did the idea for this project come from?

The story started before Christmas in 2015 when the Facebook page was called Christmas Gift Giving to Children Without Proper Parental Care. Mirta came up with the idea when her son told her he wanted an excavator and then a truck as a Christmas present. She was thinking, who would fulfill all these wishes for children who do not have parents? She had heard of a boy who had gathered friends the year before, and they made wishes of children from one home come true. She thought we could do a lot more with Facebook.

She presented the idea to our former colleague Katarina, she liked it, and the two of them set off. They contacted the children's home Klasje from Osijek, they were scared when the principal told them that they had over 100 children, so they asked her not to get angry if they failed because they did not count on such a large number.

They ended the Christmas magic with about 2,000 presents, tired, but happy. In agreement with the homes, they gave up further Christmas magic and continued with the Birthday magic. In homes, almost everyone said that all people remember them over Christmas, but then during the year it somehow subsides. The Birthday magic seemed like the real thing! And given the response from the people, it was the right thing to do.

Do you call the homes or do they call you?

At the very beginning, we contacted and worked only with orphanages. We called them all, explained the story, and slowly joined in one by one. Two years later, in late 2017, Teresa (who was in the team at the time) came up with the idea to extend the story to homes for the elderly and infirm. Again, we contacted all the nursing homes ourselves. This time it was easier because we already had a two-year story behind us and a lot of orphanages that could confirm that everything was working well. A year and a half ago, we received calls from homes that did not immediately join the story but now want to be a part of the magic.

How many children and grandparents have you donated to so far? How many homes? Are they always the same or are they changing?

Throughout the year, we track how many gifts are sent monthly, which is a little over 500 packages. So, during the year, over 6000 gifts are sent. We monitor about 50 homes for children, half-day stays, and other accommodation for children, and about 30 homes for the elderly and infirm.

All of you live in different cities and countries – how do you work together?

Since everything is online, there are no problems, moreover, it is much easier and faster. Of course, smartphones, with which you can be online at any time, and handle lists and emails, also help a lot. We don’t feel at all that we’re far away because we're in contact with each other every day and comment on everything. We have a WhatsApp group chat where we exchange messages. All four of us follow the lists of children's wishes as well as the wishes of the elderly, publish them on the page, follow who has chosen which child, grandparents, and update the lists.

Do you get feedback from homes, children, and the elderly?

Cooperation with homes is very successful and we are grateful that they meet our needs to the maximum, despite the many obligations they have. Homes designate a contact person whose mobile phone number we can publish on the list and then that person answers donors to numerous inquiries related to gifts, goes to the post office to pick up the package, takes care of whether the gift has arrived or not, delivers lists to us by e-mail and the like. The users themselves sometimes directly contact the people who sent them present to thank them, which is a wonderful experience.

You were also named Ponos Hrvatske (Pride of Croatia). How much does that recognition mean to you?

We would like to emphasize that, although we received the award, it certainly would not have been possible without all the people who helped the Magic to exist for such a long time. We try to give a personal note to the Facebook page and the community – we confirm every gift application with "Thank you", we are available almost 24/7, and we try to solve every problem that arises as quickly and as well as possible.

It is very important to us that everything is transparent and people appreciate that. Maybe that's the reason for the success. We are also glad to see how the Magic spreads so each person involved is a kind of example to their friends and acquaintances.

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participates! It is very nice to see that there are still many good people and that volunteering and good deeds are recognized in our society.

Ponos Hrvatske is the award for people who have shown exceptional humanity through their actions, inspired others, or done something that sets an example for others, whether it is saving lives, great kindness or incredible courage.

What is your wish for the future – maybe expansion, something else?

We have no concrete wishes except that everything goes as it has so far. Five years ago, we never dreamed that we would have so many people who follow us, and not only follow but send gifts and cheer up children and the elderly in homes. Our lists close in 10 minutes so we would be ungrateful if we wanted anything more than what we have now thanks to all the good people!

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