Emmaus Colchester would like to say thank you to the local community for generously donating gifts to its Operation Christmas campaign. The annual appeal has allowed the local homeless charity to give out 300 gift bags to children whose families access the Colchester Foodbank.
A range of gifts were donated by individuals and local companies for children between the ages of 0-16, including toys, stationery, books, luxury toiletries and sweets.
Families who are referred to Colchester Foodbank each received a voucher which they could take into the New Life café to collect a gift bag.
Anne Barney, Lead Volunteer at Colchester Foodbank said: “Everyone we have given them to has been overwhelmed and very grateful. It is just something extra for those who are experiencing a financial crisis at this time.”
Gemma Aylesbury, Retail Manager at Emmaus Colchester, said: “We’ve had amazing support for the campaign. It’s a real eye-opener to how generous people can be, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated gifts to the campaign.
“I also want to thank members of our staff, trustees, companions and volunteers who gave up their time on Sunday 8 December to wrap the gifts at our New Life shop on Crouch Street.”
Apart from individual donations, the campaign was also supported by Reed Colchester, Tom Copsey, Area Manager said: “Our team at REED Colchester have been overwhelmed with the amount of support we have received from our clients this year for our annual Christmas charity collection in support of Emmaus Colchester, an amazing organisation who are working together to end homelessness in our local community. We are proud to support Emmaus, as they not only give people a bed for the night; they offer a home, meaningful work and a sense of belonging.”
Operation Christmas is part of Emmaus Colchester’s solidarity work in the community. One of the most important parts of the Emmaus ethos is solidarity and the charity believes in helping others in the community that are less fortunate.
There’s lots of ways that you can help others by giving your time, donating goods, making a donation or buying items from charity shops. Find out more about helping your local Emmaus Community https://emmaus.org.uk/colchester/support-us/