Families to benefit from generous gifts
A charitable promotion is set to benefit hundreds of South Canterbury families this Christmas.
The festive season can often bring more stress than joy for some families, and to help ease that burden, Family Works and The Timaru Herald combined efforts again for their Christmas Tree promotion.
The Christmas Tree donations closed on Friday, with hundreds of food items and unwrapped gifts placed under the tree in the Timaru Herald’s foyer.
At times, donations were so piled up under the tree that gifts were delivered to Family Works several times.
Family Works manager Liz Nolan said about 300 gifts had been given out already. ‘‘ We still have about another 30 gifts to give out and 94 food parcels through the tree and from Toot For Tucker, and people coming in to Family Works donating,’’ Nolan said.
‘‘New World also gave us $500 in vouchers and Simpsons Flooring Extra gave us $500 to buy gifts for teenage children.’’
The gifts were given to Family Works families and also distributed to agencies including Arowhenua Whanau Services, Family Support, Plunket, CCS Disability Action and Community and Public Health nurses. Family Works is the co-ordinator of the appeal.
Nolan said the generosity of residents had been ‘‘humbling’’. ‘‘It’s so cool to see.’’ Timaru Herald editor Stu Oldham said it had been ‘‘an absolute pleasure to start and end each day walking past a tree surrounded by gifts for so many families in our community,’’ Oldham said.
‘‘Many generous people will help make this a memorable Christmas for people they may never meet.’’
Anyone still wanting to donate is welcome to do so by dropping off a gift or food item to Family Works in North St, Timaru.