Give this Christmas
Please help: Vanessa Fisher of UnitingCare Gippsland and Leongatha Target Country manager Nick Durand welcome donations.
THE joy of Christmas, through the UnitingCare Christmas Appeal known as Operation Santa, is once again set to reach children who may have otherwise gone without.
In partnership with Target, UnitingCare is asking the community to join forces to help vulnerable individuals and families in our community.
Through Operation Santa, people can spread Christmas joy until Friday, December 23 donating gifts at Target Country stores across Australia, including Leongatha and Wonthaggi.
Last year, 57 South Gippsland families and 161 children received gifts from the program.
An estimated two million Australians, including more than one in 10 children, still live in poverty. Thousands of people request support services each day from UnitingCare agencies and this demand always spikes around Christmas.
The increasing cost of food, fuel and housing is placing more pressure on those who have previously not needed support.
“The theme for Operation Santa is ‘Spread the Joy’. This is what we aim to bring people, and especially children from across the community who are doing it hard this Christmas,” UnitingCare director Charles Gibson said.
“People from all walks of life can find themselves suddenly out of work, or due to a sudden crisis find they are just unable to make ends meet at Christmas time.
Nikki Drummond, South Gippsland co-ordinator, said: “For the past 20 years we’ve been asking people, in the spirit of Christmas, to give an extra present to those in our community who are less fortunate.
“Gifts are often donated at the last minute and we would like to encourage donors to get in early, so that the families and children that benefit from the community’s generosity can get organised before the big day.”
How can people help? Spot the large red Operation Santa tree at any Target or Target Country store, take a gift tag from the tree and buy a gift for someone in need. Alternatively, gift cards can be purchased from Target, Target Country and Urban by Target registers.
UnitingCare representatives will collect the gifts and ensure they are distributed to those in need, in time for Christmas morning. All gifts go to people in the local community where they are donated.
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