Give a ray of sunshine this Christmas

PEOPLE wanting to make Christmas a little brighter for local families can donate to Sunshine Bendigo’s annual toy drive.

Volunteer at Sunshine Bendigo, Sharon Wilson, said proceeds from the toy drive could help ease financial pressure on families this festive season.

“We have a local group that always puts in a fairly big order and when they give the toys to the families there’s always tears,” Ms Wilson said.

“It makes such a difference to families, it just relieves that pressure that they feel so that they can then focus the money they do have on other things.”

Last year’s toy drive resulted in 150 gift bags donated throughout the community, and Ms Wilson said she expected the need this year to be greater.

“The cost of living at the moment for everyone is a struggle so that’s why this year we know that it’s going to be much more.

“If we can help with the toy part of it, adults can cope and older people can maybe cope with not getting a present, but I think a little child, every child needs something from Santa,” she said.

Sunshine receives orders for the gift bags from case workers at the social agencies they support.

Donations can be made in the form of gifts suitable for children up to the age of six years old, or as a financial contribution.

“We also take cash and then we’ll go out and purchase the toys if we see a need in a certain age group that we can’t fill with what we’ve already got,” she said.

Ms Wilson said toys should be new and unwrapped and that tips for choosing a gift could be found on Sunshine’s social media.

“With babies it’s soft books, soft toys, and sensory toys, for one-to-two-year old’s board books, blocks, puzzles.

“Three-to-four-year old’s dolls, ball games, trucks and trains, colouring, that type of thing and then the five to six year old’s sporting equipment, outdoor games, and different sorts of craft,” she said.

Sunshine is accepting until the 5 December at drop of locations including Sunshine Bendigo, Tweed Sutherland Frist National, Coliban Water, The Bendigo Club, The Village Early Learning Centre, and Assisi Kindergarten.

Sunshine Bendigo is a local charity that seeks to provide families in need with new and used baby goods.