Renowned author Maya Angelou once asked, "Isn’t it ... true a society is only as healthy as its sickest citizen and only as wealthy as its most deprived?"
This Christmas, the fight against deprivation is well and truly alive in North Otago as the Oamaru Combined Churches Parcel Trust works tirelessly to provide groceries and gifts for those in need.
Trust chairwoman Adrienne Wylie said the trust’s goal was to provide the makings of Christmas dinner and gifts for more than 600 people in need.
"And it’s lots more than that. There is enough food to help over the holiday period, too," Mrs Wylie said.
More than 30 local agencies and schools, including Plunket, Oranga Tamariki and Waitaki Mental Health have nominated the families in need to the trust.
The trust has representatives from the Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian churches, as well as the Salvation Army and a community representative.
Trust members and volunteers co-ordinate the cash and food donations and sort all the donated food and gifts into parcels for each nominated family.
Last week, $1000 was donated by St Kevin’s College English as a second language pupils to the trust to help brighten people’s Christmas.
"That was wonderful," Mrs Wylie said.
From 2012, the Parcel Fund was co-ordinated by Combined Churches member Mrs Wylie and her late husband, Mark, who took over the project from Anne Wilkinson.
In 2017, the Oamaru Combined Churches Parcel Trust was established to ensure the continuity of the project.
This year, 150 families in need will receive a Christmas parcel from the trust.
A team of up to 40 volunteers will work hard over several days to organise and assemble the parcels for collection.
Trustee member Ria Keogh said "we are a well-oiled machine".
The trust will help 614 people in total have a happy Christmas this year.
