In Spain, 28% of children live in poverty, according to the latest data from UNICEF. It is the country in the European Union with the highest rate of child poverty, a panorama that “not only has immediate implications for the quality of life of children, but can also have long-term effects on their health , their education and their professional future. indicates the international organization.
The right to a healthy life, to quality education, to be protected against any type of abuse and violence or the right to play are some of the powers included in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child since 1959. But in Spain, almost a third of minors do not benefit from it. Faced with this scenario, and just a few weeks before the celebration of Christmas and Three Kings Day, CaixaBank will distribute 34,000 gifts to children in vulnerable situations through the program The tree of dreams.
This is the seventh edition of this solidarity initiative, which this year will reach almost 5,000 more children than in 2023. The program is distributed through almost 3,300 CaixaBank offices throughout Spain, which since November 21 already have letters written by children under 12 years old. years old who are at risk of food poverty, belong to broken families or live in residential centers. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, the country welcomes 51,203 children and adolescents into the protection system, 6% more than the previous year.
Clients of the entity who wish to participate in The tree of dreams They must go to a CaixaBank office, where they will be given one of the letters written by a child with the specific gift they want for this Christmas. Once the letter has been collected, participants have until December 13 to bring the gift to their office, the maximum amount of which cannot exceed 50 euros. CaixaBank has also set up an online space from which you can request a letter from this solidarity initiative, the gift of which will be delivered to the physical office of the user’s choice.
Starting December 13, CaixaBank and more than 360 social entities with which it collaborates in this program will organize the collection and distribution of gifts to turn children’s dreams into reality. For many families, this is the only gift that minors receive, thanks to the chain of solidarity that is generated between bank customers.
More letters processed than ever
In this edition of The tree of dreams CaixaBank benefits from the collaboration of a total of 363 social entities, including its delegations, linked to the fight against poverty and vulnerability of children in all autonomous communities. Also with the support of 350 companies from all over Spain.
It is expected that this year the requests for 34,026 letters will be answered, which means exceeding the record number of beneficiaries of the initiative in its history. Since the first edition, in 2018, CaixaBank has helped to realize the wishes of more than 180,000 children at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
Social return
CaixaBank is an entity with a social vocation and a benchmark in socially responsible banking. Its attitude of service is materialized in the various social action programs that it promotes, as well as in the promotion of volunteerism, as a means of responding to the challenges that society demands.
CaixaBank Social Action promotes initiatives, activities and solidarity campaigns, some in collaboration with the “la Caixa” Foundation. Thanks to its presence throughout the territory, its network of offices – the largest in Spain – is able to detect local needs and provide local assistance. Thanks to the foundation, financial assistance is provided to social entities in each area. And through financial activity, the bank offers services and solutions for all types of people.
On the other hand, the social impact of CaixaBank has been recognized by the main international organizations. He Dow Jones Sustainability Indexwhich takes into account the size of the company and its rating environmental, social and governance, places it among the best global banks in terms of sustainability. And the international organization Carbon Disclosure Project…Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP in English – considers it a leading company in the fight against climate change.
