Help bring joy this Christmas

The Midwest Charity Begins at Home Youth Committee gave gifts to more than 150 families in the Mid West last Christmas and through the annual Giving Tree they’re hoping to reach even more this year.

Each December the committee calls for community members to place a gift for either mums, dads or kids below the Giving Tree, located inside the Mitchell and Brown store through December.

The presents are then collected and delivered to struggling families in the Mid West on the Sunday before Christmas each year.

But to reach even more local families in 2016, Midwest Charity Begins at Home president Chris Dobson has called for Geraldton residents’ help filling the tree.

“We try to cover the whole family so everyone gets a little surprise,” she said.

“The reaction from the people we delivered to last year was fantastic. They were all so touched that they had been thought about. The young ones’ (reactions) were especially priceless.”

Mrs Dobson said a variety of gifts were needed, along with cash donations.

“Gifts are fantastic but cash is also a great idea as we try to personalise gifts for each family. So if we are short in any area, for example sometimes for men, we can utilise that money to purchase something for them,” she said.

“We are accepting gifts up until Christmas Day. We will always find ‘someone special’ to share a gift with if we receive any late gifts this year.”

This year the committee has reached out to some of the businesses and organisations across town and has so far received support from Ray White Geraldton and the Loan Market’s Little Ray of Giving campaign and the Geraldton Panaceum Giving Tree.

The committee has also received several donations from the Lighthouse Church.

Mrs Dobson said the committee was looking forward to engaging with organisations across town and also thanked the youth committee for all its hard work.

“The youth committee organise it all, from putting the tree up, marketing, posters, wrapping, sorting and delivering,” she said.