Salvation Army Whanganui distributes community donations to families in need

Volunteers pack food hampers for distribution by Salvation Army Whanganui.

Community donations are helping to break the Christmas debt cycle for 90 Whanganui families.

Yesterday and today Salvation Army Whanganui was distributing food hampers and children's gifts to people in need.

Mayor (retired) Roger Herring said the Salvation Army had been providing Christmas hampers to Whanganui people in need for at least the past 12 years.

"It would have started on a smaller scale but in 2010 we established our community ministries arm that got us out into the community," Herring said.

This year, in partnership with City Mission Whanganui, they are providing 90 hampers of food and personal items, Salvation Army social worker Scott Taylor Moore said.

"There are items donated by the community and some that the Salvation Army purchased," Taylor Moore said.

"We have had helpers from the community and the church setting everything up. There are food parcels and top quality personal items [such as shampoo and toothpaste] donated by businesses. People will get a frozen chicken, gravy and custard so they can have a good Christmas meal.

"People can also choose a couple of gift items for their children and we encourage them to wrap the items themselves. It's more personal and they have participation and ownership of that for their children.

"We want to help get people out of this hideous debt cycle at this time of year."

Taylor Moore said the Salvation Army wanted people to know that the items they donated at local supermarkets were greatly appreciated and were being distributed to those in need this Christmas.

"Whanganui is a generous town that supports people in the community."