Wigilia for homeless & needy

Last year 52,000 took part in the open-air Wigilia (Christmas Eve) meal in Kraków's Main Marketplace, and a similar number attended this year, TVP INFO rerorted on Sunday. Volunteers had been working for two months to hand-form 250,000 pierogi (ravioli-type dumplings filled with sauerkraut & mushrooms and potatoes & pot cheese) which are being served piping hot together with 8,000 litres of traditonal beetroot soup and 10,000 litres of mushroom soup. The supper is meant for the homeless and needy and take-aways are provided with no questions asked, one of the organisers explained. Gift boxes were also prepared for the needy.

It's wonderful that there are active members of the community who are willing to spend their time and share their own resources with others who appreciate having a warm and free meal at this time of year.

Very nice and charitable but I bet the weather was chilly!

Yes, here is a video report: tvn24.pl/wideo/z-anteny/xvi-wigilia-dla-potrzebujacych-w-krakowie,627575.html

Nice to see so many benefiting from his generosity!

Honestly,I would like to start something like that in Warsaw but in a smaller scale initially with volunteers.If anyone has ideas mail me as I will soon be moving to Poland permanently retiring and have no hobbies.

I agree with the idea/concept what I don't get are the numbers. Krakow has a population of 850,000 people, 52,000 meals have been handed out to the homeless those needy on the poverty line. That is a 1-19 ratio of needy people in Krakow. You do something in the Rynek in krakow and you pick up a load of free loaders who are just passing by. If this guy really wants to help support the Church or a charity who are experienced in this type of distribution.

I heard the interviewed guests. Some claimed they came from other cities all over Poland to attend the supper. Let`s be honest - most of these people are not really poor - they are simply lonely and long for contact with another Man.

In order for the Krakow super to be a recognised charitable event it has to focus on the needy, these things always seem to start off with good intentions and end up a sham. All of the prepared food could have been distributed to the needy and homeless if organsied effectively, what is it a free dinner for all.

It would be nice to see a charity not in church hands.
Not that i care if its charitable and the church would chip in, but because i dont think they can handle it logistically and efficiently.

It might also improve the resentments towards foreigners, which is a great idea.

What resentment to foreigners ?

I figured if all those people came out on Christmas Eve to stand in line for free food instead of spending it with the family around the supper table - then they are needy indeed.

Firstly it is self promotion as it is known as ' Wigilia Jan Kościuszko' JK is a well known krakowski restaurator and he is requesting the people of krakow to give food and presents and taking the media attention for himself. This is marketing NOT philanthropy.

They haven`t got family - they are lonely that is why they come.


Then it is marketing, indeed.
But better such marketing than nothing, right?

A forte of the Kraków open-air wigilia is the no-questions-asked approach. Yes, ordinary townsfolk are more than welcome to enjoy the meal togetehr with the down and out. That means the indigent are not lumped together and fed in some homeless shelter but get to socialise with people from all over the country -- homeless, poor, lonely, recently released exconvicts or whatever. The no questions-asked approach is very good in my view. The alternative would be to have people bring cetficates or tickets or other idnetification and then volunteers would be needed to check them off and handle the red tape. That would surely not be in the the spirit of Christmas sharing.

Which is good if it targets the right people and not a bunch of freeloaders.


This is not how Jan Kościuszko attracts donations for ' Wigilia Jan Kościuszko' I consider the Kościuszko 100% self promotion and badly packaged if this happened in the UK, it would be exposed in the media for what it is. It is just so trendy in Poland to be in a foundation or part of one. The nice thing about philanthropy is being anonymous.



You would be correct and if these modern day Polish philanthropists understood one of the lonely days of the year for people with no family is on Christmas eve/ Christmas day. They would in fact organise the event effectively instead of making a free lunch for all on the last sunday before Chrismas eve, this year the ' Wigilia Jan Kościuszko' was on the 23rd of December NOT the 24th December. If you are going to do an charitable event do it right and focus 100% on the needy NOT the freeloaders.

if it was on 23rd he should not call it wigilia.

On Sunday , December 23 2012 at Krakow's Market largest state in Europe, the Christmas Eve table of traditional dishes for all the poor and needy.