Residents respond to winter clothing drive for Bacchus Marsh children

THE generosity of people and organisations in Bacchus Marsh is making a real difference for local children as winter looms.

The Bacchus Marsh Christian Church’s These Little Ones program is experiencing an upswing in monthly donations of clothing to help keep youngsters in need warm, with program coordinator Holly Vale overwhelmed by the response.

“We are immensely grateful,” she said. “It’s inspiring to see the generosity that is being poured out for the kids.”

These Little Ones has been running for just more than two years as an initiative of the church.

Collection days fall during the last week of every month, when people can drop off items at the church headquarters at The Laurels in Main Street.

For the winter clothing drive, Ray White Bacchus Marsh has come on board to offer a drop-off point at its outlet at The Village and at other locations.

The program is gathering jackets and jumpers; long-sleeved tops and pants; beanies, scarves and mittens; and warm everyday clothing.

These Little Ones coordinator Holly Vale, pictured with donated items at Ray White Bacchus Marsh, said the response to the winter clothing drive has amazed her. Photo: Ray White Bacchus Marsh/Supplied.

Donated items should be in brand-new or good, clean second-hand condition.

Vale said the result of the most recent collection day on 30 April was “wonderful”.

“We had an amazing drop-off,” she said. “We had the Young Street kindergarten drop off a massive donation, the Ray White collections, plus individuals from the community who just came and dropped off their donations.

“It’s a very generous community, Bacchus Marsh.”

Vale said the program struggled to secure jackets in the lead-up to winter last year, but this year there had been no such problem.

“We couldn’t even fulfil (long-sleeved) jacket orders. We couldn’t get them in stores, from op shops, nowhere,” she said.

Vale said the winter drive began much earlier this year because of that issue, and the result had been “amazing”.

She said These Little Ones took time to gather momentum when it was launched, primarily because it was not widely known, but that had definitely changed and it continued to grow with each passing month.