By Parker McKenzie
Foothills Community Care is asking the public to help those less fortunate to have a great festive season as the organisation’s Christmas toy drive enters its 21st year.
Foothills founder Stephen Barrington said while for some people Christmas is a time for family, festivities and joy, for others it can be a weird time.
“For a lot of people that we connect with each week, it’s actually a really sad time of the year and it’s something that people don’t look forward to it all,” he said.
“We like to remind people that we are here for everyone and that everyone has somebody to be with over this time.”
Mr Barrington said the gifts are handed out at Foothills events, like a market last Friday where 60 mums received donated toys, and at the Foothills Christmas eve lunch.
“Christmas Eve is a great time to support people who normally have nowhere else to go,” he said.
“We have entertainment, we have face painting, we have a photo booth and we have the Christmas Angel that comes along.”
300 people are currently booked in for the Christmas Eve lunch, including 50 to 60 children who will attend and be able to receive gifts from the toy drive.
Mr Barrington said the best items to donate are gifts for children between 10 and 17 because they often receive gifts for younger children.
“We find that is the hardest group to cater for and we have a lot in that age group,” he said.
“Things like games, puzzles, even vouchers like movie vouchers, sporting equipment like basketballs and footballs, those types of things go down really well.”
He said there are multiple ways people can contribute to the toy drive.
“We have a few giving trees around the place. Bendigo Bank in Ferntree Gully is the best way to get things to us, they’ve supported us the whole 21 years this has been running which is fantastic,” Mr Barrington said.
“They can contact us directly or at the Toy World in Mountain Gate is doing a pay-it-forward program where you can buy toys at the shop and leave them there for us.”
Other options to assist foothills include donating Christmas goods for the hamper drive, which is aiming to give out between 400 and 450 hampers to those in need over the Christmas period.
Non-perishable food items can be donated at Bendigo Banks Ferntree Gully and Upwey, Here and There Makers in Boronia or the Foothills Community Op Shop in Mountain Gate Shopping Centre.
For more information, visit foothillscare.org.au
