News
10 December, 2024
Share the joys of gift giving!
Queensland's largest and longest-running toy drive has already received nearly 2,000 donations, along with more than 160 wrapping paper rolls and over 120 sticky tape rolls to wrap the gifts.
Kindness for Kids in Care (KKC) began the initiative of collecting toys for foster and disadvantaged kids over a decade ago, with the Department of Child Safety providing a wish list of the kids they have in care.
KKC volunteers sort, match and wrap all the donations collected in Big Boxes at the Morayfield Shopping Centre, Planet Fitness in Rothwell, World Gym Burpengary, Rothwell Kids Early Learning Centre, and Department of Home Affairs (Brisbane office), ensuring all kids on the list get what they wished for, or something as similar as possible.
Gifts like dolls, Lego blocks, toy cars and board games are among the most popular gifts given out to these children in need.
Donations are still being accepted until December 24.
The Morayfield Scout Group also helped, with scouts collecting 161 rolls of wrapping paper and 122 rolls for sticky tape for KKC to wrap the donations, as part of their term 4 Community Service Activity.
KKC Chair, Prue Aranovitch, said they were aiming for their biggest ever haul of presents for kids in care.
“The capacity for our community to help out local kids in care at Christmas is truly heartwarming,” she said.
“We are helping to break the cycle and bringing some normality back into a child’s life.”
Member for Morayfield, Mark Ryan, said Christmas is such a special time of the year that it would be heartbreaking to think of young and vulnerable members of the community missing out.
“Once again members of local community have opened their hearts and generously provided gifts for some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” he said.
“The hundreds and hundreds of presents the community has donated reflects the kindness and generosity of our people and is a credit to them.”
Member for Longman, Terry Young, said this initiative reiterates the message of hope that Christmas is about.
“It’s a reminder of why we do things and reflect on others,” he said.
Department of Child Safety Senior Practitioner, Karen McGrath, added that Christmas may not be as exciting for foster and disadvantaged kids, and these gifts provide hope and a bit of magic to them.
“Some of these kids come from really tragic backgrounds and it’s important that kids get to be kids and get a visit from Santa,” she said.
“It’s a little spark of joy it brings to their lives, thanks to the community.”
