Mayor throws support behind Salvos’ Christmas appeal
Christmas will come early for struggling Lake Macquarie families this weekend as the Salvation Army hands out more than 150 festive hampers from its Eastlakes centre at Belmont.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Cr Kay Fraser threw her support behind the Lake Mac instalment of the Salvos’ annual Christmas appeal, which provides more than 30,000 hampers and hands out more than 500,000 gifts to families nationally.
“The Salvation Army does so much to support people in need in our community – not just in Lake Macquarie but throughout Australia,” Cr Fraser said.
“This has been a difficult year for so many families, which makes the services that organisations like the Salvos provide all the more important.”
Eastlakes Salvos Senior Pastor Terri Muendel said the hampers contained festive food and other treats to keep the Christmas spirit alive for families struggling to make ends meet.
“Research commissioned by the Salvos found that up to 15 per cent of families will go without presents altogether this year,” she said.
“It’s a sobering thought, and we are doing everything we can to reduce that figure.”
Also assisting local families this Christmas is the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal, aimed at collecting food, gifts and gift card donations for distribution via local charity Samaritans to Hunter families.
Go to chuffed.org/fundraiser/lakemac to donate.
