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Christine Alesbury and Pastor Paul Collins collect vouchers from editor, Terry Moore
This week more than 100 Christmas food parcels will go out from the Community House in Orewa and the Orewa Baptist church, each supplemented with gift vouchers so that the recipients can purchase items of their choice from local businesses.The vouchers will mean more presents under the tree, more festive food on the table and more smiles on children’s faces on Christmas Day for families facing hard times.
Of course they also mean more dollars in the tills of local businesses – a win/win situation.
The vouchers came from local residents who donated a total of $2755-worth to families in need through Local Matters’ Buy Local Give Local campaign.
Buy Local Give Local works by asking local shoppers to purchase a gift voucher valued at $10 or more from any local business to donate to a family that is struggling at Christmas. The vouchers are included with Christmas food parcels provided by the Hibiscus Coast Community House and Orewa Baptist Church.
The campaign has been run by Local Matters’ two papers – Hibiscus Matters and Mahurangi Matters – for three years.
This year the majority of the vouchers – $2105-worth – were donated on the Hibiscus Coast. Coasties donated $660 more than last year.
Hibiscus Matters presented the vouchers to the Hibiscus Coast Community House and Orewa Baptist Church last week, and both organisations were thrilled to receive them.
The vouchers came in over the past month from residents, businesses and local politicians who were happy to put their hands in their pockets for a good cause.
More FM generously supported the campaign through on air and social media promotion and all local Countdown Supermarkets put the donation boxes in store.
The single most generous donation of vouchers came (for the second year running) from Shiree and Robbie Parrish of Peninsula Landscapes who made us their annual Christmas charity of choice, giving $500 of Pak ‘n’ Save vouchers.
Mark Mitchell gave supermarket vouchers valued at $50, as he has kindly done every year.
The Hibiscus & Bays Local Board donated more than $250 worth of Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre vouchers, and board members Janet Fitzgerald, Greg Sayers and Lovisa Rasmussen also made additional voucher donations.
By far the biggest chunk of donations was placed in the box in the Hibiscus Matters’ office in Orewa, followed by the one at Countdown Silverdale.
Supermarket vouchers were the most popular item donated, but there were also good numbers from smaller local businesses including Manly Care Chemist, Eddie Law 100 percent, Local Café and GT Automotive. For a full list of which stores benefited from the promotion.
