27/10/2016

City Mission asks Greater Wellington to “be someone’s star” this Christmas!

This Christmas, The Wellington City Mission is asking people to “be someone’s star” by getting involved in their Christmas Star Appeal! Launching tomorrow on Friday 28 October, this appeal is about touching the lives of people throughout Greater Wellington who are in desperate need.

There are many ways that businesses, families and individuals can get involved in the appeal – but this year’s exciting new addition is The Mission’s Christmas Raffle! There are $27,000 worth of prizes up for grabs including a 2016 Mitsubishi Mirage, a $2,500 STA Travel Voucher, and a Samsung 55” TV! Raffle tickets are $5 each, or $20 for a book of five, and each ticket puts you in the draw for one of the nine amazing prizes – many of which have been generously donated.

Raffle tickets are available for order on ChristmasStar.co.nz, and people can buy them from The Mission’s iconic Star Car! The Star Car will once again be cruising around Greater Wellington during November and December, parking up in malls, supermarkets, Z Energy stations, and more. People can also make a donation at the car via cash or eftpos and sign their name in one of the thousands of stars it’s decorated in!

After a successful debut last year, The Mission is also looking forward to displaying their Christmas Walk of Fame along Wellington’s waterfront once again! Each star on the Walk of Fame represents families being supported this Christmas. Businesses, groups and individuals can get their name or logo on one of the Hollywood Walk of Fame-style stars when they’re displayed from 2 – 26 December. This year there’s a new exclusive Gold Star available, too!

On 2 December The Mission’s annual Street Day Appeal is also taking place, coinciding with the launch of the Walk of Fame. Keep an eye out for their collectors around Greater Wellington for an opportunity to donate! Donations to the appeal are also accepted online at any time via ChristmasStar.co.nz, and look out for The Mission’s donation insert in The Dominion Post on Thursday 10 November.

Finally the iconic Pack the Bus, in partnership with The Breeze Wellington, will again be visiting schools and supermarkets in the region, collecting food and gifts. The bus will be on the road from 21 November to 2 December.

The Mission is looking forward to having people across Greater Wellington involved in these Christmas activities. The generous donations received during this appeal ensure they can continue working with people who are struggling, especially during the Christmas season. They will provide families with food parcels and gifts so they can celebrate Christmas together, while continuing to offer year-round services such as budgeting advice and in-home social work too.

Wellington City Mission Chief Executive Officer Michelle Branney said: “For most of the people we work with throughout the year, the stress and financial strain of Christmas adds to the challenges they face all year round. It makes a world of difference when the community gets behind The Mission so we, in turn, can help where it’s needed most.”

Last Christmas, thanks to the generosity of businesses and individuals, more than $130,000 was raised from Christmas Star Appeal events! The Mission assisted over 3,000 people during the Christmas period with one-off or regular support, and gave out over 1,400 food parcels and 1,500 gifts to those most in need. Now they can’t wait to do it all again! For more information about the Christmas Star Appeal visit ChristmasStar.co.nz.

ENDS

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