By Shelby Brooks
Local not-for-profit Windermere Child and Family Services will be sending Christmas cheer to 340 families in December.
Merry Mission Appeal will support children and families from the South East experiencing extreme disadvantage this Christmas by way of food hampers and new toys.
Marketing team leader Emma Reeves said local businesses and organisations were thrilled to jump on board following an online voucher drive last year in lieu of packed hampers due to Covid-19 concerns.
“A lot of these groups have supported us for the last 10 years or so,” Ms Reeves said.
“Last year was an outlier so this year the groups were really happy to get back involved.”
Those groups include Berwick Toyota, Ray White Berwick, Capital Transport, Rotary Club of Berwick, Tirhatuan Lakes Golf Course, Commonwealth Bank, Woolworths, Bunnings Warehouse Australia, The Toy Workshop, Facey Property, Reading Cinemas Dandenong, Lakeside Pakenham Scouts and Planetshakers Church.
Volunteers and the Windermere team packed more than 300 bags which include non-perishable groceries for three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – as well as a treat.
“Our case workers will deliver the hampers to their clients this week – otherwise some wouldn’t have something to put on the table at Christmas – which was special,” Ms Reeves said.
Over the last decade, Windermere’s appeal has raised $360,000, and has been able to assist more than 5000 families by providing 9600 gifts and 4060 hampers.
Windermere chief executive Dr Lynette Buoy said the organisation was still accepting cash donations for Merry Mission Appeal, which had been running for over 10 years.
“Our work with over 22,000 people a year tells us that there are many, many families who are struggling to meet everyday costs as well as often dealing with a range of difficult life circumstances such as housing insecurity, family violence, mental health challenges and long-term health issues,” she said.
“They deal with this all year round. Our aim at this time of year is take a bit of pressure off these families, who also should be experiencing a little bit of Christmas joy.
“It is important for them but it is also important for everybody to think more broadly than their own small circle of friends and family and to reach out to help others.”
Dr Buoy said it wasn’t just about being generous at Christmastime, but also acknowledging that not everybody’s life is simple or easy, and that giving can extend outside of your own circle.
“Supporting our own families is important but supporting others is what creates a community. Pakenham and its surrounding areas have always proven that they care; it is one of the many great characteristics of where we are,” she said.
“It can help in many ways, food on the table, providing the ability for somebody to give a gift to their child that may not otherwise happen, participating in Christmas just like most households.
“We currently have identified approximately 340 families in need of helping hampers and just under 500 Christmas presents.”
Shaneen and Phoebe are just one example of a family who Windermere has supported through a tough time. The organisation delivered Christmas gifts and hampers to them through Merry Mission in 2020 and 2021.
“There are a lot of expenses when you have a child with cerebral palsy and autism. The expenses are endless with doctors, appointments, and physios. We went through all of our savings,” Shaneen said.
“When we were introduced to Windermere, we were almost homeless. I had no support and was doing everything as a single parent. Windermere actually listened to me and heard what my concerns were.
“Windermere gave us a hamper of food and little gifts, and to see Phoebe’s eyes when we opened these presents, it felt like there was someone there to actually care,” Shaneen said.
