A family of immigrants has felt the warmth of the Greater Victoria community after facing a lonely Christmas.
Peter is a father of two young children, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. Peter is not his real name; in recent years the family has endured violence and child abuse from a tumultuous relationship so Black Press Media has granted him a pseudonym.
Since moving from Eastern Europe four years ago the family has faced a tough time, including the separation between Peter and his former partner. The separation, Peter said, has isolated them from friends and most of their family is still in Europe.
“We suffered a lot recently and I know my kids need and deserve more Christmas miracles this year than they could get at home,” Peter said.
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So, he took to the internet. On Thursday he put forward a plea on Reddit; “Father with two kids seeking family to adopt us for a cozy Christmas.”
There, he described his daughter as artistic and his son as cheerful and both ready to help with cooking and cleaning for a cozy Christmas meal.
Within the first 12 hours, Peter received more than 20 invitations.
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“They are full of heartwarming invitations from awesome families and I’m still trying to catch up with them and find the best fit and schedule for us,” Peter said. “Now I am pretty sure my kids will have a marvelous and fulfilling Christmas experience.”
Peter added that the kids are excited to visit another family and to meet new people.
“I think our example can prove very well the strength of our local communities,” he said. “We can’t make it out to all the invitations that we received, we are so sorry about that, but we would like to thank all of them for their generous offers and wish a Merry Christmas for the whole community that supported us.”
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