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With Christmas just around the corner, your community newspapers, Hibiscus Matters and Mahurangi Matters, are once again spreading the news about our Buy Local Give Local campaign.
The campaign, now in its third year, asks residents to purchase gift vouchers from local stores while doing their shopping, and donate them to families in our community who need a helping hand at Christmas.
Drop the vouchers into our offices, or see the list of retailers with collection boxes below.
Or post vouchers to: Buy Local – Give Local
Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth, 0941
Hibiscus Matters, Unit G, 18 Tamariki Plaza, Cammish Lane, Orewa
You can also drop presents (new or near-new) under the Christmas Tree at Mahurangi Matters at 17 Neville Street, Warkworth.
The campaign starts on November 4, 2015 and ends on December 9 in Hibiscus and December 11 in Mahurangi.
Christmas cheer
On the Coast, the vouchers are distributed by Hibiscus Coast Community House and Orewa Baptist Church with their Christmas food parcels and both organisations say they make a big difference.
Pastor Paul Collins of Orewa Baptist church and Community House manager Christine Alesbury say that recipients are moved to tears. Pastor Paul says the vouchers were particularly welcome and “meant the world” to some families. “It’s amazing to see people’s faces light up when you deliver the parcels,” he says. “It means so much to know that someone cares about you.”
Christine Alesbury says that feedback from Women’s Refuge, which gave some of the vouchers to families that they were helping at Christmas, was particularly moving. “One woman who received a Christmas parcel was so overwhelmed she stood with tears rolling down her cheeks and finally came out with: “This will make the difference between having Christmas and not having Christmas.”
Donations will be distributed by Homebuilders Family Services in Warkworth and Otamatea Family Services in Maungaturoto to local families in need.
Homebuilders coordinator Quentin Jukes says Buy Local, Give Local really catches the true spirit of Christmas.
“It’s a beautiful thing when people take the time to think about others and then do something practical about it; that’s really heart-warming,” he says.
“We know that if it wasn’t for people donating gifts or supporting Buy Local, Give Local, lots of families wouldn’t have any presents at all on Christmas Day.”
Quentin says the brilliant thing about Buy Local Give Local is that when people receive a voucher they are able to choose a present for their child themselves.
He thanked all the local businesses who were getting behind the appeal again this year.
Readers – this is what you do:
Purchase standard gift vouchers from any local business (denominations over $10) and drop them into secure Buy Local Give Local boxes placed around the community.
Vouchers can be for anything you think might help a family on Christmas Day – fuel, toys, electrical goods, clothes and so on.
Grocery vouchers are especially appreciated and New World Warkworth, Jaques Four Square in Kaiwaka, and all Coundown stores on the Hibiscus Coast are getting right behind the appeal with voucher boxes in store.
Boxes are also located at Eddie Law 100% Whangaparaoa, Manly Care Chemist in Manly Village.
Or drop them in or post them to the Mahurangi Matters or Hibiscus Matters office.
Business owners – this is what you do:
Encourage customers to support the Christmas voucher appeal. The names of all the businesses where vouchers have been purchased will be published in the newspaper and our website.
Many businesses also donate their own vouchers, including Eddie Law 100 percent and Manly Care Chemist.
Last Christmas more than $2000 worth of vouchers were donated – and every little bit counts; whether it’s the many $10–$50 donations put in the boxes by shoppers, or the $500-worth of supermarket vouchers donated by businesses such as Peninsula Landscapes. Rodney MP Mark Mitchell also makes a generous donation each year.
Helping hands
Buy Local Give Local has proved its worth, bringing business to local stores and providing choice to the recipients.
This year, for the second time, local radio station More FM is right behind the scheme. Their support is vital in raising awareness among the shoppers who dip into their pockets for the cause.
Information about Buy Local Give Local will be broadcast on More FM starting this week and will include live crossovers from voucher drop off points as well as news items and Facebook posts.
Look out for the posters, sponsored by printing.com in local stores.
Help spread the Christmas cheer by supporting the Buy Local – Give Local appeal. Thank you.
