Hundreds of struggling Canterbury households will be able to place gifts under the tree this Christmas after receiving hampers from generous Kiwis.
This year, 680 people – including 377 children – are receiving the parcels as part of an initiative by the Christchurch Methodist Mission.
Each year, the mission matches donors with a family in need of some festive cheer.
“They might be businesses, they might be parishes, individuals, families. They’ve put together these hampers. They include their food for Christmas Day and their presents for each of the children,” the mission executive director Jill Hawkey explained.
The recipients are “just a small portion” of the more than a thousand families the social services organisation has worked with across Canterbury this year.
“They are families who the social workers know have really done it hard this year,” Hawkey said. “They’ve had some tough times.”
For some donors, it’s an annual event – one work team has been involved for seven years and counting.
“I think just giving to whānau in need is the biggest thing here,” donor Casey Davis said.
But for others, it’s a new tradition.
‘We’ll be doing it year after year’ says delighted donor
First-time donor Nicki Connors said it was “so nice” finding out what the children’s ages and interests were.
“It was kind of like going shopping for your own nephew and niece. You had enough information to buy something that they were really going to love. We’ll be doing it year after year,” she said.
Those on the receiving end of Kiwis’ generosity said it made all the difference to their Christmas – especially for the kids.
“As they’re happy on the day and it’s a smile — it’s perfect,” recipient Paul Kumar said.
“It means a lot to have people like this community group and other community charities just to pay it forward and next year, maybe we’ll be able to do the same.”
Hawkey said the hampers made a “huge difference” for the families in need “because Christmas is a time where it can be really a lot of pressure for families”.
“It takes the pressure off. They know they’re going to have great food to be able to put on the Christmas table and they’ve got presents for the kids.”
