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Creating Christmas cheer
For so many across our state, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. There are expectations of presents, delicious food and good company all while juggling all of the day-to-day costs of living – which can be overwhelming in themselves – without the added pressure of the festive season.
Each year we partner with some incredible people and corporate groups to ease the burden of spiralling expenses at Christmas for our customers. Here is a snapshot of Christmas initiatives we worked on last year:
Founded 12 years ago by Wayne Smith and Aaron Pitt who partnered with Rotary and Foodbank to bring their vision of helping those most vulnerable in our community at Christmas time to life, this incredible initiative has helped more than 30,000 families and raised in excess of a million dollars.
Each year we collaborate to put together a delicious Christmas-themed hamper that comfortably feeds a family of four on Christmas. The hampers are packed by volunteers and are distributed by us to ensure they reach those who are most vulnerable in our community.
Last year the huge hampers contained Christmas cake, custard, gravy sauce, Plumrose Tinned Leg ham, SPC Baked Beans, Arnott’s Nice shortbread biscuits, peaches, canned vegetables, jelly, crackers, instant mashed potato, rice, penne pasta and donated chocolate as an extra treat.
3,024 hampers were distributed throughout Western Australia.
The very generous people at Hawaiian partnered with us once again through their Giving Box which sees us partner up with Hawaiian shopping centres across Perth to raise much needed food and funds for those struggling in our communities, to ensure that their Christmas can be a little brighter.
Participating shopping centres were Claremont Quarter, Melville, Forrestfield, Victoria Park, Bassendean, Noranda and the Hawaiian centres which all accepted food donations under 80kg and also had tap’n’go units on the boxes for those wishing to make cash donations.
For the second year running, Lakeside Joondalup’s “Kindness with Convenience” vending machines allowed people to donate a much-needed item to a registered charity. With 30 different items to donate including, a weekly grocery shop, baby essential pack, literacy support pack, birth certificates, there was sure to be an item that resonates with everyone, and they start from just $5 – less than a takeaway coffee.
Thank you to everyone to helped to bring these amazing initiatives to life, to help make Christmas brighter for those doing it tough.