Carol Brown and Kate Rowland packing food hampers —   by PSS

Christmas Spirit Alive and Well in Southland

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Christmas is the time when the generosity of Southlanders comes to the fore. Presbyterian Support Southland (PSS) is privileged to see this first-hand through a range of initiatives that support families in need over this time.

From gifts to food to financial donations Southlanders are a generous bunch, particularly at Christmas.

Year-round Family Works receives donations of items such as clothing, bread, bassinets, blankets and bedding that are distributed to families.

At Christmas, Family Works is able to pass on gifts and food parcels to dozens of families in need throughout Southland, thanks to the support of the community.

Every bit of support is hugely appreciated, and goes towards making Christmas a little easier for Southland families.

PSS and Family Works are involved with a number of initiatives in the lead up to the festive period, including:

Christmas Tree for Donations at Central Office

The Christmas tree at Central Office (Spey Street) is available for the public to donate items to be passed on to children and families in need. New or second hand gifts (unwrapped to be donated to a suitable child/family), or non-perishable food items to be added to food parcels, are all hugely appreciated.

Donations can be left up to Monday 18th December.

Co-ordination and Delivery of Food Parcels

Each year Family Works co-ordinates and delivers around 50 food parcels to Southland families, thanks to generous donations from businesses, churches and individuals. Programme Support Administrator Carol Brown spends countless hours putting together the parcels, which provide families with a huge range of items – all designed to make Christmas easier – and Family Works deliver these to families the week before Christmas. If you would like to donate anything to these parcels, or would like to make a financial donation so Family Works can purchase items for the parcels, you can do so at Central Office.

H&J Smith Christmas Tree Appeal

H&J Smith, thanks to the superb work of Robyn Colvin, have an annual Christmas appeal in store, where shoppers are invited to purchase gifts for children and place them under the store’s Christmas tree. Shoppers note the age and gender the gift would best suit, and the gifts are then given to children involved with the Family Start programme.

The agency is also involved with the Salvation Army Adopt a Family programme (each year some Family Works families are involved with this initiative), and also receive wonderful support through churches.

If you would like to help, but are not sure in which way or cannot make it in to Central Office, please feel free to email enquiries@pss.org.nz.