16,000 smiles at Christmas
For the second Christmas running, Melbourne Citymission partnered with the ABC to collect gifts for families in need across Melbourne and Victoria. The appeal was a great success, with over 16,000 gifts donated.
ABC retail outlets and radio stations in Melbourne acted as gift drop points for generous listeners and shoppers to make Christmas a little bit brighter for thousands of families living in disadvantaged communities.
One young person, Ben, expressed that it was so nice to be able to give not only his dad a gift, but also his two younger sisters. ‘Sometimes you feel like at Christmas people give you presents and you don’t want them because you have nothing to give back. It is really nice to be able to give people you love something at Christmas, just to say thanks and I love you.’
Campaigns Manager, Danielle Clark, co-ordinated all aspects of the gift-giving and was overwhelmed by the generosity of donors and the gratitude with which people received the gifts. ‘It was a wonderful success, we almost doubled the amount of gifts distributed and brought a lot of happiness to people who otherwise may not have found much to smile about at Christmas.’
‘Melbourne Citymission works with people of all ages, so it meant that every gift found an appreciative home. Whether the gift was for a baby, teenage boy or an elderly lady - someone was smiling.’
The appeal would not have been possible without the support of all the volunteers involved. Thank you to the hardworking and dedicated volunteers from NAB, AGL, CGU, SKM and Millward Brown, who tirelessly picked up, sorted and distributed the gifts in time for Christmas.
We would also like to extend our appreciation to Lemon Baxter for their support. Lemon Baxter generously donated a centrally-based warehouse space for the duration of the appeal, which meant were able to distribute the gifts to the people who needed them faster than ever before. Lastly, a huge thank you to the ABC for partnering with us and providing so much on-air support and promotion for the appeal.
You can still make a difference
Many Melbourne Citymission programs are still accepting gift donations.
Gift Cards needed!
We work with people who have little contact from their families and so we aim to give a gift to them at key events, such as when they are celebrating a birthday or at have achieved great results at school. Low value gift cards from major retailers are a very practical gift, as they allow people to buy something they really need or want. Donated gift cards can be sent to Campaigns Manager, Melbourne Citymission, PO Box 13210, Law Courts PO, Melbourne Vic, 8001.
Melbourne Citymission
Melbourne Citymission works with people experiencing disadvantage across Melbourne and Victoria. Every week we help thousands of people build a clear pathway away from economic exclusion and social isolation.
Our services support:
- people to find a pathway out of homelessness
- people with a disability to get the resources and support they need to live the life they want
- people to break the cycle of poverty and abuse
- people to find jobs, or enter into education and training.
