‘TIS the season to be charitable, and Ararat community groups are calling on locals for help.
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Ararat Uniting Church is taking part in the joint Target and UnitingCare Australia campaign to support families in need.
Volunteers are encouraging locals to visit Target Ararat and purchase a $2 appeal bauble, a Christmas gift box for $3, or to donate an unwrapped gift.
The appeal runs from November 1 to December 24, and Target Ararat is located at 44 High Street.
Uniting Church volunteer Yvonne Dridan said every donation mattered.
“The team at Uniting is thrilled to play even a small part in such an important community campaign, and encourages shoppers to donate as much or as little as they can,” she said.
Church volunteers will collect the gifts and donations the week before Christmas and distribute them to local families.
Meanwhile, the Ararat Emergency Relief Committee has launched its own Toy and Gift Christmas Appeal in partnership with Kings Cars Ararat.
The appeal also calls on the community to donate money or gifts for families who might otherwise struggle this season.
Donations can be dropped off at Kings Cars at 182 High Street, Ararat.
Gifts will be taken to the Ararat Emergency Relief Committee on Christmas Eve, where volunteers will wrap and distribute them to local families.
In 2017 almost 100 children and families received hampers thanks to the joint fundraising effort. Children up to the age of 14 received toys or gifts that had been donated.
Kings Cars general manager Michael Smith wants to beat last year’s efforts.
“Hopefully we can break last year’s total and in doing so, provide gifts and toys for underprivileged children this Christmas,” he said.
Cash donations are fully tax deductible.
The appeal is an expansion of the work the Ararat Emergency Relief Committee does throughout the year.
Comprised of five local churches, each church is rostered on for one week to provide food, petrol and other forms of assistance to those community members in need.
Each church offers relief at their premises every fifth week from Monday to Friday from 1pm-2pm, and there is a maximum of five visits per financial year.
The churches involved include Church of Christ, St Vincent de Paul, Anglican Church, Uniting Church and Salvation Army. Contact the churches directly for further information.
