Shauni James: Let's help end rocky year with festive cheer through Christmas Appeal

The Christmas Appeal is one of my favourite times of year. Photo / Andrew Warner

OPINION

This year has been another tough one for people all over.

It has been rocky in 2021 once again due to the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown and alert level restrictions.

Despite the fact that this has brought periods of frustration, hardship and uncertainty, I have noticed our community bands together during these difficult times.

Checking in on each other during lockdowns, supporting local businesses, and finding innovative ways to hold community events and fundraisers are just some examples of this.

And the annual Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal is a great way for us to help keep this wave of support, kindness and generosity going within the community.

Seeing all the work Salvation Army Rotorua volunteers and staff put into running the foodbank, and into food parcels for those in need, is inspirational and heartwarming.

Of the 1752 instances of welfare assistance the Rotorua Salvation Army has provided to date this year, 754 of this was for food parcels.

The work our local foodbank does for the community is vital, and they can't provide this life-changing support for individuals and families without the generous help of community donations.

Even if you are only in the position to donate one or two cans, every little bit helps and makes a big difference.

And understandably, there will be some people who would usually give but are not able to this year.

However, there are other ways you can show your support for the appeal, such as volunteering some of your time to help out the foodbank team during this busy lead-up to the festive season.

The Christmas Appeal is one of my favourite times of year, there's nothing quite like seeing the community coming together, spreading the aroha, and bringing festive cheer to those in need.

Let's end this crazy year with a positive bang, Rotorua!