Your gift is their Christmas

By Christchurch City Missioner Corinne Haines

Christmas for many of us is a time of love, joy and celebration, and a time for families to come together. 

However, we know many of those who come to the Christchurch City Mission for help experience Christmas as a time of pain, and a time when they remember tough times they have faced over the last year. Christmas brings to home to them how lonely it is to be experiencing homelessness, how tough it is to have financial difficulties, or how challenging it is to be unable to provide for their family in a meaningful way.

At Christmas we all have the opportunity to uplift those around us, whether it’s a helping hand, a small gift, an act of generosity which can brighten a life, or a time to remind people that they are loved, and that we care for them. This willingness to offer a helping hand is magnified enormously at the City Mission where – with your help – we will make Christmas better for thousands in our community.

As you look to celebrate the joy of the Christmas season with family and friends, I hope you will consider giving generously to the City Mission, so we can help others to experience Christmas happiness.

Hungry families, lonely and depressed people, families with increasing debt, people challenged more deeply with addiction – they will all be looking to us for help.

Christmas is the City Mission’s busiest time of year. All our staff will be working extremely hard, especially those in the foodbank, where in the week before Christmas we will provide Christmas meals for at least 6000 people. 

To continue our vital work, we need your support this Christmas. I am personally grateful for your continuing kindness, and thank you for your ongoing support.

My best wishes to you and your families this Christmas.