The Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy Drive is being picked and packed this week, after a generous response from the community to their appeal for toy donations.

The Kmart ‘Wishing Tree’ appeal, launched two weeks ago, has been a major avenue for donations along with other organisations who have donated or helped in different ways such as The Greater Bank, Newcastle Permanent, CWA, Apex and Good 360.

“We just want to be able to bless those doing it tough and make sure that their kids have something on Christmas morning. We have a staff of volunteers who are in today who are walking around trying to find the perfect toy for each child so that on Christmas morning, they have something special,” said Captain Donna Sutcliffe.

(Captain Phil and Donna Sutcliffe from the Salvos with all the toys in Goonellabah)

Volunteers from the community and local clubs and churches have been assisting with the operation. Twenty Year 9 students from Summerland Christian College helped to unpack boxes of toys yesterday and sort them all into categories, as well as pack 200 food hampers.

Over 200 families and 350 children will benefit from the Toy Drive this Christmas across the Lismore, Casino and Ballina region.

While local charity Christmas initiatives have been disjointed in the past, this year marked a much more cohesive approach with Resilient Lismore, CWA, Rotary Club, Lions all pooling their efforts. The hope moving forward is to develop a multi-agency structure for Christmas support in the community.

The hope is to accept all donations this week and have all gift bags packed by next week before school finishes so that the parents of registered families can access them without the children present. Summerland Sunrise Club has gifted rolls of wrapping paper for inclusion in each bag so that parents can wrap the gifts themselves.

While the donations of toys for younger children has been abundant, The Salvation Army is putting out an urgent appeal for anyone still wishing to donate to focus on gifts for 14-year-old boys and girls, a category which is currently lacking.

You can drop your donations to Kmart, Greater Bank or Newcastle Permanent collection points (Central Shopping Centre) to bless children in need in our community this Christmas.