A Kiwi charitable organisation is giving families in need a 'Christmas shop-like experience' this festive season.
The Kindness Collective has teamed up with Mummys in Need and I Love Avondale to create The Christmas Joy Store in Auckland.
For families living in poverty, or rebuilding their lives from family violence, Christmas can be a time of increased pressure and stress for families. Recognising that the last two years have been particularly tough, Kindness Collective founder Sarah Page says that she wants this Christmas to be truly magical for families in need.
"Everyone should be able to enjoy Christmas without stress or worry and so the Christmas Joy Store is about giving families the gift of kindness and the dignity of choice."
Page says often families don't get a say in the presents their tamariki receive and the Joy Store "gives more mana" to the experience by allowing them to choose gifts they know their children will love.
The store will be decked out in Christmas decorations and have festive tunes and a team of elves will greet caregivers and help them shop and wrap their gifts.
Many New Zealand businesses and individuals have already supported the initiative but the Kindness Collective is asking for more donations to allow it reach more families this festive season.
Alongside the Christmas Joy Store, the Kindness Collective has been working with MDM Women's Refuge, a large, busy independent Women's Refuge group for Christmas for the past eight years, sourcing gifts for children and mothers, Christmas food and grocery vouchers.
It also provides Christmas presents for 500 other children within various organisations as part of its Christmas campaign.
Many New Zealand businesses and individuals have already supported the Christmas drives but the Kindness Collective needs more donations to allow it reach more families this festive season.
The waitlist for organisations and families to receive support is long and there is still so much food and grocery vouchers left to purchase.
Visit the Kindness Collective website to donate and help make this a help make this Christmas one to remember, for all the right reasons.
This media was donated to The Kindness Collective by Discovery New Zealand.
