Residents dig deep for gift appeal

Mosman Council’s 2020 Christmas Gift Appeal has been a big success with nearly 800 gifts, including more than 200 books, donated to help families with children living in disadvantage in northern Sydney.

“The generosity of the Mosman community will make a huge difference to disadvantaged families living in our region,” Mosman Mayor Carolyn Corrigan said.

“It is wonderful to see that our community has rallied and risen to the challenge at the end of such a difficult year when we could have expected the number of donations to be affected by COVID-19.

“Each and every one of these gifts will be appreciated by families doing it tough at this difficult time ensuring that Christmas can still be special for them.”

The Salvation Army, which will distribute the gifts to families in need by Christmas across northern Sydney, thanked Mosman residents for their contribution.

“The Salvation Army is extremely grateful for the 800 gifts donated for The Salvation Army’s 2020 Christmas Gift and Food drive,” Salvation Army General Manager Community Fundraising Andrew Hill said.

“The Salvation Army is only as strong as the support and generosity shown by the thousands of Aussies who dig deep each and every year and this year more than ever we have seen the need across Australia grow due to the impact of COVID-19 on our communities.

“We acknowledge the amazing Mosman community for their generosity and Mosman Council team for collecting the gifts to ensure we can help families during this incredibly difficult year and keep the hope of Christmas alive! The gifts will help parents put presents under the tree and bring smiles to the faces of many.”

The Mosman Christmas Gift Appeal supports a different children’s charity every year, giving local residents an opportunity to donate to the less fortunate in the community by placing an unwrapped gift under the Christmas tree in the foyer of Mosman’s Civic Centre.