CareWorks SunRanges is hosting the final week of its annual gift and toy drive next week, providing relief to local families over the busy Christmas period.
The organisation is accepting donations of new children’s toys and gifts for adults for its Christmas Hamper appeal, as well as food and monetary donations to prepare for the school holiday period.
CareWorks SunRanges service delivery manager Jane Williams said the organisation has been offering its annual Christmas gift and toy drive for about 27 years.
“People are always just so grateful and see it as a blessing for themselves and their families … we’re standing in that gap between having and not having,” Ms Williams said.
She said that this year, the number of people who have visited the centre seeking support each week has increased “probably twofold.”
“The end of the year, and especially coming up towards the school holidays, we get many more people … I’ve had people coming in saying I have to pay my electricity bill because we need that to survive. Everything is just so astronomical at the moment,” she said.
She said that coming into the school holiday period, food donations are also very important as children begin to spend more time at home over the break.
The centre will be open until December 19 this year, then reopening again next year on January 14 for food relief.
In its last week before donations close, new toys and gifts for the Careworks SunRanges Christmas appeal can be dropped to the centre at 531 Elizabeth Drive, Sunbury.
The centre is open for donations from 9am–2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Monetary donations can be made on the organisation’s website.
Details: careworks.com.au
