The President of the Pancyprian Volunteer Coordinating Council (PVCC), Elias Demitriou, expressed satisfaction that fewer families applied for assistance during the 2025 “Adopt a Family” Christmas campaign, noting that the reduction reflects an improvement in living conditions for financially vulnerable groups.
In a statement to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Dimitriou highlighted that this year no students applied for support.
The campaign concluded on 23 December, he said, adding: “We managed to meet the needs of all families who approached us across Cyprus.”
Demitriou emphasised that the decrease in demand is particularly positive, and noted that even after the campaign ended, the PVCC remains socially active to support families with essential items for the New Year. Already, two to three families have reached out post-campaign and will receive assistance on Monday.
Highest demand in Nicosia
Asked about the impact of lower demand, Demitriou said it increased the value of aid provided to each family, as citizens and companies maintained their contributions. This allowed the PVCC to distribute the same level of support as in previous years, including gift vouchers, food, toys, and sweets.
Regarding the composition of families seeking help, he noted that Nicosia saw the highest demand, primarily from young couples with one- or two-year-old children. The absence of student applications this year is attributed to many students finding employment in the hospitality or other sectors, reducing the need for assistance compared with previous years.
When asked about potential misuse, Dimitriou stated that checks are conducted and no cases of abuse or exploitation by families were detected.
He also noted that the PVCC supported its member organisations based on their requested needs in an effort to decentralise assistance, with the number of organisations ranging from 440 to 450.
Dimitriou clarified that the drop in demand refers to central-level data, and said a fuller evaluation of the campaign will be possible in mid-January once information from all organisations has been compiled.