It’s always easier to cope with the Christmas season when there is someone to walk beside you.
This year, UnitingCare West and the Uniting Church community walked alongside more than 2 000 Western Australians, providing the help and material assistance to ease the stress and difficulty many families feel throughout the season.
The unprecedented demand for UnitingCare West’s support services through November and December could easily have become overwhelming if not for our Uniting Church community. Together, we supported Western Australians who are doing it tough.
The generosity of congregations and individuals was inspiring. Many donated to UnitingCare West’s Christmas Appeal and provided support through collections of food and gifts. Each and every year the spirit of Christmas is warmly demonstrated, and our long-term supporters are immensely appreciated.
Our Uniting Church WA schools collected a mountain of food and packed beautiful hampers to make Christmas Day a joy for many families. Some schools personalised the hampers and included notes of hope, while St Stephen’s School packed backpacks full of school supplies as well as food hampers. Special thanks go to Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) and to Methodist Ladies’ College (MLC) for their generous financial support of our Christmas Appeal.
We would also like to acknowledge our principal Christmas Appeal partner, Target Australia, as well as the businesses and other schools who so generously made us the focus of their Christmas giving. To Explore Curtin, who hosted a Christmas Wish Tree, and to all those who returned a Christmas gift tag with a special Christmas message to share as part of our Christmas Appeal, our grateful thanks.
Finally, our special thanks go to St Andrew’s Uniting Church in East Perth, without whom we could not have collected, stored and packed over 800 Christmas Hampers. Alan Mackenzie and Helen Williams were a great support and we thank them and the congregation for their patience as we took over the garage and kitchen.
In particular, it is with immense gratitude that we thank St Andrew’s Uniting Church member, Herve Carre. Herve uncomplainingly opened up for our deliveries and was there every day helping to pack and distribute the hampers which made so much difference to many families. We could not have successfully completed this mammoth task without Herve.
On behalf of all those we serve, UnitingCare West thanks you for walking beside us this Christmas.
From the team at UnitingCare West
Top image: Herve Carre, St Andrew’s Uniting Church member, with Christmas Appeal volunteers from Keystart Homeloans.