Caritas (Poland)

Caritas is the largest charity organisation in Poland. It consists of 44 diocesan Caritas organisations, which act at the regional level, and Caritas Poland, which is responsible for national campaigns and providing international aid, supporting, in particular, victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts around the world.

Caritas Poland has been carrying out its activities on behalf of the Polish Bishops’ Conference since 1990. At the country level, Caritas Poland conducts various campaigns, such as: Christmas candles distribution to collect money for supporting children; the ecumenical Lent campaign when, by giving up some pleasures, children raise money for so-called piggy banks of mercy; scholarship programmes aimed at increasing educational opportunities for students from poor families; collection of funds for food aid for the poorest to raise awareness about the problem of homelessness and marginalisation of the most vulnerable people; and fundraising campaigns to collect money for the purchase of medical equipment.