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6<br />
Thursday <strong>November</strong> <strong>16</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
Christmas gifts sought for those<br />
sleeping rough or in foster care<br />
• By Sasha Watson<br />
IT’S THE TIME of year for<br />
holiday cheers and giving,<br />
and the Halswell Community<br />
Project’s Christmas tree<br />
collections are now under way.<br />
This year, the not-for-profit<br />
organisation has partnered<br />
with three agencies: Ngā Maihi<br />
(Steppingstones Trust/Odyssey<br />
House/Purapua Whetu), Open<br />
Home Foundation and City Mission<br />
Outreach, to help spread a<br />
little Christmas joy.<br />
“The Christmas Giving Tree is<br />
something we have done for the<br />
last few years to support people,<br />
although we support various<br />
groups throughout the year too<br />
through our regular collections,”<br />
said project manager Kate Cleverly.<br />
“The groups are generally recommended<br />
to us by members of<br />
our community or our networks<br />
so it varies from year to year.”<br />
Ngā Maihi is an intervention<br />
for people aged between <strong>16</strong> and<br />
24, who have been in Oranga<br />
Tamariki or Youth Justice care<br />
SHARING THE LOVE: The Halswell Community Project is<br />
accepting presents for its annual Christmas Giving Tree.<br />
for 90 days or more at any point<br />
in their lives and require support<br />
to transition into adulthood.<br />
Open Home Foundation works<br />
with children in respite or foster<br />
care, with its cornerstone value<br />
for every child and young person<br />
growing up to be in a secure,<br />
loving family and receive appropriate<br />
care.<br />
The City Mission Outreach<br />
team works with people sleeping<br />
rough on the streets, to look after<br />
them, help them into housing<br />
or emergency accommodation,<br />
and connect them with different<br />
services to get their lives back on<br />
track.<br />
Cleverly said the project was<br />
looking for donations of any<br />
new items, including portable<br />
radios and batteries, sunscreen,<br />
water bottles (300ml packs),<br />
tramping packs or backpacks,<br />
baseball caps or wide-brimmed<br />
hats, sunglasses, flasks, lip balm<br />
or zinc, waterproof ponchos and<br />
summer-appropriate clothing.<br />
Toiletry packs containing<br />
shampoo, conditioners, sanitary<br />
items, deodorant, toothbrushes<br />
and paste, cotton buds, body<br />
wash, soap, hairbrushes, razors,<br />
hair ties and shaving cream are<br />
also appreciated.<br />
Said Cleverly: “Any vouchers to<br />
purchase household or bedding<br />
items are also needed.<br />
“This year, Open Home have<br />
a few younger children around<br />
eight years of age, but mostly<br />
teenagers. Donations of anything<br />
for the teenage group would be<br />
hugely appreciated, along with<br />
toys, books or games for the 5-12<br />
age group.<br />
“Thank you to the community<br />
for all your help and support<br />
– donations of all items are<br />
very much appreciated. We do<br />
ask that all items be new only,<br />
please.”<br />
• Drop-offs can be<br />
made to the Halswell<br />
Community Hub, 381<br />
Halswell Rd, Monday-to-<br />
Friday, 9am-4pm<br />
Toy library initiates drive for contributions<br />
SUSTAINABLE PLAY: Robbie Wordsworth having fun at the<br />
Halswell Toy Library.<br />
• By Sasha Watson<br />
THE HALSWELL Toy Library<br />
may have more than 100<br />
members and 800 toys, but it<br />
needs more volunteers to help<br />
sustain its service.<br />
The library has also planned a<br />
Christmas toy drive to help raise<br />
funds and drive up membership.<br />
It is accepting donations of<br />
unwanted toys, games and<br />
puzzles in good condition.<br />
Said media and marketing<br />
committee member Jo Gilbert:<br />
“We’ll keep ones that are good<br />
for the library and they’ll be<br />
hired out, while the others<br />
will be sold at our event on 9<br />
December.<br />
“They would be perfect as a<br />
cheap present to give to a child<br />
who needs them and its a nice<br />
way to wrap up the end of the<br />
year for the library.”<br />
The charitable community<br />
service is looking for at least<br />
five more volunteers or “duty<br />
members” who can spare a few<br />
hours each year to help with<br />
tasks like counting and packing<br />
away toys, and cleaning and<br />
adding toys to the mix.<br />
Said library president Gemma<br />
Wistrand: “We’re looking for<br />
anyone with any spare time<br />
and a sense of initiative to help<br />
us spread the load around. You<br />
don’t need to have any specific<br />
skills, just a willingness to help<br />
out.”<br />
Duty members can join the<br />
library for $60 a year, while<br />
members who do not sign<br />
up for the duty roster pay<br />
$120 annually.<br />
Wistrand said many people<br />
don’t know the toy library is<br />
“just like a regular library, only<br />
for toys” and their catalogue of<br />
playthings is online.<br />
Said Gilbert: “Our community<br />
of more than 24,000 residents<br />
(figure from 2018) is one of the<br />
fastest growing in New Zealand,<br />
with almost 20 per cent of<br />
residents aged under 15 years old.<br />
“Thus, there are loads of people<br />
in our community who could<br />
benefit from our service, but we<br />
have only about 100 members.”<br />
The library is a non-profit<br />
community service run by a<br />
voluntary committee. It provides<br />
good quality toys for hire for<br />
children 6 months to 10 years<br />
old.<br />
Being reminded about Christmas<br />
deadlines is so terribly annoying.<br />
You have 6 weeks.<br />
GETTING THOSE LEGAL MATTERS WRAPPED UP IN GOOD TIME STOPS THE NIGGLES. LET’S TALK.<br />
03 349 5111 | WIGRAM.LAWYER@SAUNDERS.CO.NZ | CITY, WIGRAM, PAPANUI, FERRYMEAD | SAUNDERS.CO.NZ
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