December 22

Mission makes plea for Christmas donations

Christchurch City Mission is calling on volunteers and donors to again back its annual Christmas Day lunch.

Hellers and other food companies are continuing a tradition of helping the Mission to serve Christmas Day meals.

The Mission relies on donations and volunteering to pay for its daily $15,000 running costs for a range of social services including food bank and night shelters.

Christchurch City Missioner Michael Gorman is calling on donors and volunteers to support the major event.

The Mission’s Christmas wish list includes 60 large hams, 10kg of penne pasta, 80 lettuces and 40 kg of tomatoes.

“We’re also hoping for 800 mince tarts and 60 pavlovas”, he says.

North Canterbury-based Hellers is delivering 50 hams as well as sausages and bacon in Christchurch, providing upwards of 600 meals for more than 200 expected families.

The smallgoods company regularly supports other social service groups including Christchurch food bank 0800 Hungry.

Hellers CEO John McWhirter says the company is proud of its community spirit. “We are delighted to be able to make a contribution that will help others, particularly at this time of year.”

Like 2015, Hellers is donating to the Christchurch City Mission in partnership with another Canterbury firm, Button Family Crumpets.

McWhirter urges New Zealanders to do whatever possible for city missions and similar community service groups at Christmas.

Hellers was one of the first food companies to help earthquake-hit Kaikoura after the recent earthquakes. It donated sausages and My Main Course meal pouches, then delivered tonnes of product by air and sea to the stricken town’s two supermarkets.

Outside Christmas and quake relief, the company runs a nationwide Sausages for Schools scheme. Hellers has donated more than 800,000 sausages to schools around the country over the past five years.

The scheme has raised at least $1.6 million for anything from inter-city sports trips and library upgrades to kapa haka competitions and IT upgrades.

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