Aidan Curtis
A BUMPER Christmas Cheer campaign has helped not-for-profit organisations in Mount Gambier spread joy to disadvantaged people in the community.
Each year, organisations including ac.care, Uniting Care, Lifeline South East, St Vincent de Paul Society and Salvation Army have banded together to raise money, food and toys for people doing it tough at Christmas.
According to ac.care homelessness case manager Deanne Swift, the most recent Christmas Cheer showed just how generous the community can be, pulling in record donation numbers.
Ms Swift said she was “pretty panicked” at the beginning of December because ac.care only had a box of toys on hand, but that all changed as Christmas approached.
“We had, I think, 167 registrations – plus we had more come in on the day that we gave out the Christmas Cheer,” she said.
“And we also provided many presents for each child – it could have been direct children or indirectly related, so nieces, nephews, grandkids.
“We found that the week before Christmas Cheer, so I would say probably mid-December, that’s when we started to see a lot of toys and donations come in, which was just phenomenal.”
Families were able to walk away from ac.care with sacks full of toys and food, and Ms Swift said there were more than a few tears of joy and gratitude.
“A lot of tears, one lady was completely overwhelmed that we provided so much – they were expecting maybe a toy or two,” she said.
“A lot of people said they were happy that they could now give their family a Christmas.
“I think people in the community now feel that they’re supported more than they realised before.”
She said in the lead up to Christmas, people were flocking into the ac.care Community Centre with bags and bags of non-perishable foods.
“That’s what, to me, Christmas is about – it’s the generosity,” she said.
“The amount of people that walked in here with donations was just as big as people coming in for donations.
“It just warms the cockles of your heart to think that the community was so supportive of people that are struggling.”
There were also plenty of financial donations to help out, with $10,000 from the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal going to ac.care.
Ms Swift said a lot of that went towards buying food vouchers to help support families with their grocery shopping.
She said she could not understate how grateful she and all the people who needed help over Christmas were for the giving spirit in the community.
“To Limestone Coast and Mount Gambier, just a huge thank you – I am absolutely overwhelmed in the generosity of this community,” she said.
“It’s pretty amazing to be a part of that.”
