More Blue Santa donations will be gratefully received

Blue Santa

Organisers of Operation Blue Santa — the police initiative to provide Christmas cheer to needy families in the district — need more help to meet demand.

The Gisborne police Whangaia Nga Pa Harakeke team, Te Aka Ora Charitable Trust and Countdown Gisborne have been working together on the initiative.

Operation Blue Santa gives the community an opportunity to share food and Christmas treats with struggling families.

Before Christmas, police and Social Services staff will visit families and gift them a laundry basket full of donated food.

“Our last count of donations sees us at 100 baskets and we would love to reach our target of 300,” said Constable Tracey Mann of the Whangaia team.

“There are so many amazing deserving families that we have already listed that are so deserving of this amazing gift from their community.”

Constable Mann said they had seen a lot of hard-working families who had been hard hit by Covid-19.

“So we would love for more people to get behind us.”

An Operation Blue Santa basket costs around $85 to fill.

“The contents can be bought and put together by a family, group or business, and left with Countdown Gisborne, or funds can be paid into the Te Aka Ora bank account (02-0636-0061335-00 ref: Blue Santa).

“Alternatively people can go down to Countdown themselves and purchase some or all of the items. Staff there would be more than happy to help them.”

For more information contact Constable Mann at , Laura at Te Aka Ora Charitable Trust (06) 868-7722, or Chris at Countdown Gisborne (06) 869-0880.