Four hundred and seventy-nine hampers were given to struggling families in the Wagga area in the lead-up to Christmas 2017.
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With between 10 and 20 families a day currently visiting St Vincent de Paul’s Wagga care and support centre to ask for help with buying food or paying bills, the charity’s Wagga regional president Joanne Crowley is anticipating there will be a high demand for help as Christmas 2018 approaches.
Wagga charities are now actively planning how to meet the needs of people seeking help over the Christmas period.
Ms Crowley said donations of non-perishable food, new toys, gift cards and cash were particularly welcome in the lead-up to Christmas.
“We distribute hundreds of toys at Christmas,” she said.
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St Vincent de Paul’s Wagga executive officer Mike Riley also appealed for people who may be having a clean-out during the summer months to remember that donations of blankets and warm clothes were welcome all year, as were gifts which could be distributed to families for Christmas.
“There are a lot of families in Wagga with young children whose only Christmas gifts will come from these donations,” Mr Riley said.
As Christmas approaches, The Daily Advertiser will again be participating in the annual Wagga food appeal, which collects goods on behalf of St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army.
For the charities, items like tinned meals, pasta, beans, cereals and recipe bases are helpful, along with items that would help make a Christmas.
There are a lot of families in Wagga with young children whose only Christmas gifts will come from these donations.
- Mike Riley, St Vincent de Paul, Wagga
A spokeswoman for the Salvos in Wagga, said donations of non-perishable food, toys and and money were welcome.
She also encouraged Wagga City Library members to remember the annual Fines for Food appeal.
Running between November 26 to December 22, this appeal allows library members to have any fines for overdue library items waived if they donate a non-perishable food item.
The donations made by Wagga library users will help to restock the Salvation Army’s supplies after the busy Christmas period.
Since 2004, every branch of Riverina Regional Library has been involved, meaning residents across the region can donate to the fundraising project.
Around the Riverina, other local charities will be the recipients, as nominated by their branch libraries.
