
The Family Works Christmas Angel Project is now in its fifth year, and involves families, friends, work colleagues, groups or teams being matched with a local family in need for Christmas.
Last Christmas, 140 families were supported through the angels project, and in 2022, that number was even higher, at 180.
Presbyterian Support South Canterbury chief executive officer Carolyn Cooper said Family Works and other agencies, such as Plunket, Multicultural Aoraki, and kindergartens, would put names forward of families needing some help this Christmas.
Those could include single parent families, grandparents raising grandchildren and/or extended family living in the same household.
Families are matched to sponsors — who might be a family, workmates, or team — who receive a profile of the family they have been allocated.
The profile includes information about the number of adults, the ages of any children, some family background and gift suggestions.
How much sponsors spend is up to them — they can purchase all the gifts suggested, or a few.
Both the family and the sponsor remain anonymous throughout the process.
Mrs Cooper said many of the families selected had experienced trauma and hardship and were working hard to improve their lives as well as their families.
"The families last year were so very grateful and overwhelmed by the generosity of their Christmas Angel sponsor and the sponsors felt really good to be able to help a real family in need."
Coming on board to cover the cost of running the Christmas Angels project this year are the Aoraki Foundation ($4000), Todd Mudie Group, Bleeker & Weith and Temuka Transport ($2000 each).
Aoraki Foundation chief executive Richard Spackman said Todd Mudie Group was already on board from last year, and it took just two phone calls to find two more sponsors to ensure the project could continue.
"Straight away, they were, ‘yep, we’re on board’.
"Other times I’d have to make a lot of phone calls to get that result."
Todd Mudie Group marketing manager Braden Hopkins said it was the second year the business had helped fund the project.
It also sponsored two families and provided a space for pick-up and drop-off of gifts.
Local businesses received many requests for support from the community, but TMG was very happy to be associated with this project.
"It’s just the nature of the cause, helping families in need, it fits in with our mission and values."
Those interested in signing up to sponsor a family this Christmas can register their interest on the PSSC website.
The project is a finalist in the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards this year in the Supporting Local category, and organisers are asking people to consider voting for PSSC Christmas Angels.