A New Zealand charity is hoping to bring a little Christmas cheer to families in need this festive season, allowing parents and caregivers to "shop" donated toys for their little ones.
The Kindness Collective, founded by chief executive Sarah Page in 2014, launched its Christmas Joy Store last year to resounding success, providing referred parents and caregivers with the opportunity to shop for gifts they know their children will love - for free.
From November 28 to December 24, thousands of parents and caregivers will enter the Christmas Joy Store and be able to choose from approximately 30,000 donated toys, ensuring their tamariki have presents to unwrap on Christmas morning.
For families and whanau who are living in poverty or working to rebuild their lives after family violence, Christmas can be a highly stressful time due to the pressure of providing gifts and creating a magical experience for children and tamariki. This year will prove particularly tough for many on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, where many people lost their jobs, and amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
With annual inflation currently sitting at 7.2 percent, the costs of products and services have risen significantly, making it more difficult for families in need to even put food on the table - let alone buy presents for their children.
"The last two years have been extremely tough for families and the gap between those that have and those that don't is getting wider every day. Families are having to make tough choices every week between paying rent and buying food and there's no room for extras like going to the doctor or car maintenance, let alone all the trimmings of the festive season," Page said.
"So many of the families coming through the Joy Store are working really hard to make ends meet and at the end of the week, there's just nothing left. Some of the stories we hear are just heartbreaking and so helping in this way is the very least we can do.
"We believe everyone deserves the joy of new and the dignity of choice, so the Joy Store model provides that and the outcome is thousands of children have presents on Christmas morning."
Page is excited for families and whanau to experience the new-and-improved Christmas Joy Store, noting it's "much bigger and better" than last year's offering as the charity hopes to double its impact.
How do parents and caregivers get referred to the Christmas Joy Store?
The Kindness Collective works with more than 30 organisations to determine which parents and caregivers are most in need. The charity receives referrals from the likes of the New Zealand Police, Taonga Education, Oranga Tamiriki, District Health Boards and other agencies and schools.
"They refer the families they think would benefit from kindness at Christmas and we do the rest," Page said.
To ensure as many families as possible can experience the magic of Christmas, Page and the Kindness Collective are urging any Kiwi who can to donate to the store - your donation may just make a Kiwi kid's Christmas one to remember.
How can people donate?
By heading to www.kindness.co.nz/donate, the Kindness Collective can turn people's donations into toys and treats for children, including the likes of brand-new board games, sports equipment, Hot Wheels and Barbies.
"We're lucky to receive toys at fantastic prices from Planet Fun and New World Green Bay so we can double people's donations," Page said.
Since its inception in 2014, the charity has contributed almost $3 million to Kiwis in need and continues to provide a unique experience for donors, offering real-time updates of the journey from donation to delivery.
Article created in partnership with The Kindness Collective.
