Helping struggling families this Christmas

Pesh from Glen Eden

Kia ora Whanau
Currently I am leading my local Rotary club called Rotalite,
we are a satellite Club for Henderson Rotary.
I have been an active member for 6 years now, for those that don't know we are an organisation that puts service before self.
Our club focus on doing awesome projects in the community, we take on a more relaxed approach then most clubs, without all the formalities.

Personally I started this campaign 6 years ago,
with good intentions to help out our rough sleeping community.
I collected donations from local schools and businesses,
distributed up to 150 packs, connected with some really amazing organisations like orange sky and the village trust.
However the last 2 years my campaign has morphed into supporting struggling families, as I realised there is huge demand for food parcels.
As families face hardship they also struggle to put food on the table. Many families go into unaffordable debt trying to put on a Christmas, well many families go with out all together.

None of this would be possible if wasn't for generous people like yourself, working together to help our local communities and all the beautiful people in it. We see you, we appreciate you.

How can you help??

We simply ask that friends and family come together, see what kind of donation items you can find around the house, or when you go shopping. There is a list of items down below, however we are also accepting cash donations so we can purchase fresh fruit and vegetables.
Please do not feel limited in what you can provide, it's as simple as thinking what kind of items would struggling families need??
We are also extending our reach to local schools, businesses and organisations.

All you would have to do is run a collection for 3 weeks, put a box in your local reception area, display a poster of our campaign, as collections build up, inform us and we would come and pick these items up.
The good thing is everyone will get some local advertising, a special mention through rotary and local pages. Also we get to work together this Christmas making a real difference to peoples lives, really showing the world the impact our community can have when we band together for a good cause.

This year we are working with local food banks, food distribution networks and social providers who will connect us to struggling families in need.

We did not think this campaign would affect so many peoples lives, Its not until your get closer to this struggle that you truly understand how hard these times can be, both financially and mentally.
The impact in putting a smile on someone face, when families think no one cares is what really powers the kind of work we do.
For us to continue sharing the positive love and support, we really need more people to share in our vision. Never has a time been more important then now, lets work together to make our neighbourhood a more kinder and compassionate place to bring up our children.
We thank you for your support and encouragement,
just remember every item contributed will make a massive difference in the lives of those beautiful people that receive them.

god bless
Ngā mihi nui ki a koe