Szlachetna Paczka (English: Noble Gift) is a social project of the Wiosna Association, which provides material help and mental support for families in need and people in difficult life situations.

The project operates all year round but is most active just before Christmas during the so-called weekend of miracles. It is the time when gifts are delivered to people selected by volunteers based on environmental interviews. Donors themselves can choose the family they want to help.

Szlachetna Paczka recently published this year’s report on poverty entitled "What can’t we afford?" which presents both the data and stories of people suffering from poverty.

The data presented in the report are terrifying. Statistics indicate that as many as 1.8 million Poles struggle with poverty including at least 400,000 children and 290 thousand seniors.

According to the data, as many as 78% of Poles save money by buying less, comparing prices of services and products, etc. This does not necessarily have to be related to a difficult financial situation. Only 22% of Poles don't save money and don't care about prices in stores daily.

Almost half of the population cannot afford to order food in a restaurant, as many as 10% can't afford to go out for ice cream and 3% don’t have money for basic grocery shopping.

How to take care of yourself and your family when Poles often cannot afford to take care of their health? Queues for services provided by the National Health Fund extend up to a year into the future, and 44% of Polish citizens cannot afford private health care. We are talking about doctor visits, dental care, and nursing services. 17% of Poles do not have money for corrective glasses, and as many as 8% lack funds to purchase prescription drugs.

Data collected by Szlachetna Paczka indicate that 6 out of 10 Poles cannot afford to buy a house or apartment, while as many as 8% are struggling to pay the rent.

Purchasing household appliances and electronics is also a challenge for many people. Replacing a washing machine or refrigerator is beyond the financial reach of 16 and 17 per cent of Poles, respectively.

A trip abroad for the whole family is too much of a financial burden for 55% of Poles. As many as 29 per cent cannot afford a holiday in Poland and 18% cannot afford to send children to summer camps (note: these are often subsidised, but it is worth remembering that camps are not only about paying for the trip. Very often you also need to provide pocket money and buy required equipment, such as shoes, swimsuits, etc.)

More than a third of Poles (35%) cannot afford to pay for streaming services, nor can they afford a concert ticket (36%). 10 per cent of all citizens cannot afford to buy a book.

"What can't we afford? A report on poverty" is more than just statistics and numbers. These are also touching stories of people for whom surviving every day is a challenge.

Marzena's monthly budget is PLN 700 per month. The woman suffers from rheumatism and tries to support her disabled grandson.

Mariusz is 90 years old and has not bought new clothes for the past 30 years. He has just PLN 590 a month to survive. He doesn't remember what tomato soup tastes like.

The Szlachetna Paczka report included many such moving stories. People struggle to buy basic food products, fuel, housing, and medicines.

Source: Szlachetna Paczka