Charities are appealing for donations to help those in need
So many people across the Beaches are doing it tough right now and Christmas will be difficult – with presents and special celebration foods beyond the reach of many.
Thankfully, local charities like One Meal, Rotary and Anglicare are already on the case and have started collections of toys and non-perishable food items to bring some Christmas cheer to those who need it most.
Read on to find out how you can give someone the gift of a happier Christmas.
One Meal ‘One Hamper’ Christmas appeal
One Meal Northern Beaches has been spreading joy around the Beaches with its Christmas hampers for ten years, on top of providing over 18,500 hot meals a week for disadvantaged locals.
This year, One Meal is appealing to the community to help fill 3,000 hampers with essential nourishment and Christmas cheer for families in need.
You can register for an empty box online (either pick it up or One Meal can drop it off) and return the box filled with some suggested non-perishable items to one of the drop-off points, including One Meal in Brookvale, Service NSW outlets and politicians’ offices including Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps and Manly MP James Griffin, by 2 December.
People can also include a Christmas card and add some personal touches to the hamper.
“The card is important,” says One Meal Northern Beaches coordinator Kim Williams. “But we also love that people can freestyle by dressing up the box or adding some Christmas cheer with little decorations.”
Kim says the need for help is increasing as economic struggles grow.
“Every community has what we have,” he says. “It’s just hidden under this layer of affluence and the idea that everybody’s doing well.
“The impact of these hampers goes beyond just providing food. They bring hope and joy to families who are struggling, reminding them that they are not alone.”
Spread some Christmas cheer with Anglicare
One Hamper also caters for vegetarians, gluten-free diets or those with certain religious beliefs.
People also have an option of donating $50 and One Meal will fill a box on their behalf.
Register for a hamper box by visiting onemeal.org.au/hampers
Rotary’s Tree of Joy
Beaches Rotary clubs are calling on the community to buy a gift for someone in need this Christmas through their Tree of Joy program.
A simple and powerful idea, Rotary installs Christmas trees in places like shopping centres, banks, offices or shops. Trees are ‘dressed’ with gifts cards showing the recipient’s age, sex and suggested gift. Donors choose a card, buy an appropriate gift, and leave it under the tree before mid-December.
Belrose Rotary’s Christmas trees will be installed in mid- November in 16 locations, such as Glenrose Village, Forestway shops and Stocklands Balgowlah, and Rotary Upper Northern Beaches will have a Tree of Joy at Warriewood Square Shopping Centre.
Rotarians collect gifts daily and check them (so please don’t gift wrap them), before distributing the gifts to charities who ensure they go to the people who need them. Belrose and upper Northern Beaches clubs donated close to 5,000 gifts between them last Christmas.
Belrose Rotarian Mike Gibbs, 86 years young, has been looking after the Tree(s) of Joy since it began in Glenrose in 1994.
“All the shopping centres are very good to us,” says Mike. “The security staff and the trolley people wheel the trolleys out for us, and the local shopkeepers keep an eye on what’s appearing under the tree so no one takes anything.”
Mike says they usually peruse toy catalogues in July to see what the latest craze is and that many children enjoy picking out a gift for others of a similar age.
Rotary Upper Northern Beaches has had its Tree of Joy at Warriewood Square for close to 10 years and supports a variety of charities, including a women’s refuge in Dee Why.
Bruce Lakin, former president of the club, says it gives love to disadvantaged children at Christmas.
“The love arrives via gifts donated by caring members of our community,” says Bruce. “Without this, some children will have no happiness at Christmas.”
Keep an eye out for a Rotary Tree of Joy while Christmas shopping and pick up an extra gift for someone in need!
Visit rotaryuppernorthernbeaches.org or belroserotary.org.au
Anglicare Toys ’n’ Tucker appeal
For over 20 years, Anglicare Sydney’s Toys ‘n’ Tucker Christmas appeal has involved collecting toys and food from the congregation, which then gets distributed to Anglicare stores, including Dee Why and Newport, and donated to locals who need help at Christmas.
Scott Tarrant, minister at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Terrey Hills, says that as a smaller church, they collect about 20 boxes and that anyone in need around Christmas can visit a store to access donations.
“The community will drop off a bag of groceries or toys at the church door, and that goes into our big collection for Toys ‘n’ Tucker,” Scott explains. The donations then get collected in early December.
St. Paul’s has also put the feelers out for the community to nominate local families in need in the lead-up to Christmas.
“We want to create food and toy hampers for local families who can’t afford it this Christmas,” explains Scott. “We’ve approached Terrey Hills Public School and said we’d be happy to give hampers to families in the school community.”
If you’d like to assist St Paul’s in helping the community, visit stpaulsterreyhills.org.au
WHERE TO BUY A FRESH CHRISTMAS TREE
Manly’s Royal Far West
7 to 8 December Manly Village Public School car park Pre-order at aussiechristmastrees.com.au
Rotary Upper Northern Beaches and Terrey Hills Scouts
7 December Intersection of Aumuna Road and Mona Vale Road, Terrey Hills