Shoebox appeal provides almost 500 gifts for Whanganui families

Blue Santas have come on board in 2024 to help distribute the gifts.

An annual shoebox appeal has gathered nearly 500 gifts for Whanganui children this Christmas.

The initiative is run by Love and Learn Childcare and the Hakeke Street Community Centre and Library, with businesses, organisations and members of the public filling shoeboxes with gifts and returning them to the centre.

Love and Learn manager Marie Butturini said work began in October and the response had been overwhelming.

“We go out to multiple organisations with an email and say ‘Hey, would you like to nominate any whānau you know that might need a little extra bit of awhi (care) this year?’

“People in the community can nominate someone they know as well. When [shoe boxes] come back, we check them over and arrange them so they suit the families.”

Butturini said the idea came from the Catalytic Foundation, which supports charities nationally and runs its own annual shoebox appeal.

“They supply the shoeboxes and try to get big sponsors behind it,” she said.

“This year we got Ryman Healthcare, and the residents at their rest home [Jane Winstone] put together 20 boxes for us, including stuff they had made.”

Butturini said there were also large donations from organisers at the New Zealand Masters Games and the Rapid Relief Team, and Love and Learn provided hundreds of books “so that tamariki have something to read over the holidays”.

The Blue Santas (Police Flow team) were on board to help give out presents and they had been in every day to pick them up, she said.

“Every year they do a Christmas run and drop donated food parcels to whānau.

“A lot of our families cross over [between both appeals] so it made sense to partner with them.”

Butturini said at least five families told her they were thinking about skipping Christmas in 2024 because they could not afford it. The past year had been “really tough for people”.

Deliveries were being made to suburbs across Whanganui, she said.

“We do as many boxes as we can. Next year, we will try to do it a little bit bigger and a little bit better.”

Love and Learn and the community centre also put on a free Christmas party on December 14, with hundreds flocking to Williams Domain in Whanganui East.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.