Napier resident starts community Christmas collective to help those less fortunate

Geogia Clifton realised families often get donated food and presents but not decorations. Photo / Paul Taylor

Napier resident Geogia Clifton has started a community Christmas collection to provide Christmas cheer for those who go without.

The initiative asks people to donate decorations this Christmas period for her to gift to families who go without the "Christmas experience" next year.

After volunteering with local charity organisations Clifton realised families often get donated food and presents but not decorations. Inspired by her childhood and that of her young siblings now, Clifton was motivated to do something to help children in Hawke's Bay have their dream Christmas.

"Christmas was always a happy time in my life. It was a time where my family could forget about stress and children could have freedom of imagination. Seeing Christmas come together bit by bit was always so fun."

Clifton feels it is a period with a lot of expectations but can also be financially stressful.

"There's a lot of expectation in movies and TV shows. I don't want any child to be disappointed and no child should have to go without.

"To hear a parent say, 'I don't think I've given my child a proper Christmas experience' is heart-breaking," Clifton said.

Decorations will be collected and purchased this year to donate to families next Christmas. On December 1, 2020, Clifton will be making boxes of decorations to deliver to families in need. Decorations will be spread equally throughout boxes, but she would like enough to fill a tree for each family.

She is currently organising with local charities how the delivery will be made next year, and which families the decorations will go to.

Clifton suggests that during this Christmas period people look at their decorations and see if they have any to spare.

"If even a few people donated just a few decorations that could fill up a whole home and bring a whole month of happiness for a family," Clifton said.

She will collect Christmas decorations from people's homes throughout Hawke's Bay from now until next December. People can organise a collection by messaging the Community Christmas Collective Facebook page. They can also donate to the Givealittle page set up. Clifton will use the money to purchase decorations when they go on sale after Christmas.

She will be collecting any Christmas decorations from tinsel to stockings. And she will be accepting any old or damaged items to repair in her own "Santa's workshop".

"There's always a bit more magic left in them," she said.

In the first 24 hours of the page launch, she has had some tinsel and nutcrackers donated. She aims to gift decorations to at least 30 families who may go without such as those in temporary or emergency housing but "the more the merrier", she said.

"Even one Christmas light could light up a kid's whole month."