IN THE true spirit of Christmas, Target and Uniting Care will brighten the lives of Australians struggling during the festive season.
The annual Target and Uniting Care Australia Christmas Appeal – now in its 27th year – was launched at Mount Gambier’s Target store last week.
Funds raised during the appeal will help the Uniting Care network to support community services and programs nation wide, while gifts donated to the cause will be distributed to local families in need.
Reidy Park Primary School students sang traditional Christmas carols at the official launch on Thursday, before Travis Fatchen spoke on behalf of Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell
“We have just come through winter, where we had a number of blanket appeals and made donations to families doing it tough and Christmas time is no different,” Mr Fatchen said.
“Not every family can afford presents for their loved ones – this is an amazing opportunity for the community to donate gifts to be distributed to families doing it tough.”
Uniting Care Christmas Appeal coordinator Jan Stafford said the appeal had helped “hundreds of thousands” of families across Australia since its inception.
“This is a wonderful initiative and it has been fantastic for our community,” Ms Stafford said.
“The appeal runs until Christmas Eve and we encourage everyone who can to place a gift under the tree.
“Volunteers from Uniting Care will collect donations and distribute them to people and families in need in the community.”
To contribute, shoppers can simply purchase an appeal bauble for $2, a white Christmas gift box for $3 or donate an unwrapped gift at the store.
“The team at Target Mount Gambier is thrilled to play even a small part in such an important community campaign and encourage shoppers to donate as much or as little as they can,” store manager Margaret Clarke said
In 2017, the appeal raised $700,000 nationwide from over 22,000 donations, helping to support over 42,000 Australian families.
