Robina Group’s Supported Christmas Charities for 2019
The stark reality of poverty and disadvantage is never more distressing than at Christmas time. Seeing everyone around you celebrating, sharing gifts and relaxing while you are impoverished or alone must be one of the most isolating feelings you can experience.
There is real need across the Gold Coast community with many families struggling and living below or just above the poverty line. There are also countless locals fleeing domestic violence situations or who have fallen on hard times through a myriad of circumstances beyond their control.
It’s so important for us to try and make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, especially at this difficult time of year. As is our tradition, we went searching for exceptional, local grass-roots charities to support in lieu of the cost of sending out a printed Christmas card.
Walk With Us
One of our hardest-working local charity organisations with the biggest heart, Walk with Us is a shining light in the darkness for many of our most vulnerable community members. Walk With Us offers support, meals and even training opportunities to those suffering from homelessness, poverty or mental health issues as well as domestic violence survivors and disadvantaged youth.
Walk with Us serves a free hot meal each Monday at Fradgley Hall at Burleigh Heads. As well as offering the immense comfort of a fresh cooked meal, this allows them to connect with those in need and help them access other services that they may need including Orange Sky laundry to assist with washing clothes.
On Christmas Eve, these local legends provide a hot Christmas lunch, prepared and served by an army of volunteers.
The tagline for Walk with Us ‘be a good human’ is something we can all aspire to this Christmas. Most humans are inherently kind, but sometimes our busy, stressful lives can separate from this natural instinct. Reconnect with your humanity this Christmas and choose to walk beside someone who needs your kindness.
Walk With Us needs donations to support their meal program – $25 will buy one Christmas lunch and $1,500 buys 60 lunches. They also need donations of fresh and canned food, furniture, toiletries, school supplies, clothing and sleeping bags.
Contact Walk with Us by calling 0413 086 646 or emailing info@pirg.com.au – follow their work on their Facebook page.
♥ DONATE TO WALK WITH US NOW ♥
Gold Coast Basket Brigade
~ operated by the Magic Moments Foundation
Every year with the help of donations and volunteers, the Gold Coast Basket Brigade puts together hundreds of baskets for disadvantaged or struggling families. Packed with food, toiletries and gifts, they are small packages of love, bringing a touch of joy and comfort to those in need. This year they have the aim of raising $25,000 which will allow them to create 500 baskets for distribution.
The Basket Brigade initiative was created over three decades ago by motivational speaker Anthony Robbins. Inspired by a complete stranger who delivered a basked of fresh food one Thanksgiving to his poverty-stricken family, Anthony vowed to perpetuate this kindness for other families.
Basket Brigades now take place in countries across the world and in Australia they are operated by the Magic Moments Foundation.
A national network of volunteers, Magic Moments Foundation participates in a range of community projects. As well as running the Basket Brigades, they operate a program called Grandies which aims to look after older, forgotten members of society, as well as running youth programs which create positive experiences for younger generations.
These local unsung heroes need your help! They need donations and volunteer support to continue to make a difference. Do what you can this Christmas – a donation of $50 will buy one basket and $1,500 buys 30 baskets. Or, why not get together a group of friends or work mates and join the 2019 Gold Coast basket packing day coming up on 15 December at All Saints Anglican School.
To reach Gold Coast Basket Brigades call Sharon Buckingham on 0424 151 491 or email goldcoastbasketbrigade@magicmoments.org.au – keep up to date with their amazing work by following their Facebook page.
♥ DONATE TO GOLD COAST BASKET BRIGADE NOW ♥
(Note – put ‘Gold Coast Basket Brigade’ in the notes field oto specifically donate to this cause).
