The St Vincent de Paul Society NSW is known for bringing festive joy with members providing households in need with Christmas hampers. 

For the St James Conference in Yamba on the North Coast of NSW, the assistance provided this past Christmas took a different form – but the spirit of giving remained in full effect! 

Thanks to the generosity of local fundraising and benefactors, the Conference moved away from providing food hampers for the first time, Instead, families in need were provided with a range of gift cards, allowing for greater choice on how they wanted to celebrate the season through gifts and dietary suitable food. 

St James Conference members provided 23 families with a Christmas gift box, each containing a Coles gift card and a K Mart gift card for each child in the family. 

The local St James Catholic Primary School also got on board and generously contributed a range of other gift cards, as well as crafting beautifully designed gift boxes which were filled with a considered selection of gift cards, toys, chocolates and lollies for each family. 

St James Conference in Yamba supported 229 people over the past financial year, providing a range of financial and material assistance. Families who received the Christmas boxes were grateful for the generosity and thoughtfulness of the gifts. 

The Vinnies Christmas Appeal recently closed, raising over $1.5 million in NSW to support the vital work of members throughout the state. 

Our members distributed 10,000 hampers to households in the lead up to Christmas, while Vinnies Support Centres were transformed into a treasure trove of presents to ensure everyone had something under the tree to open. 

Peter Houweling, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State Council President, expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of generosity shown during Christmas. 

“The Christmas season is one of family, warmth and kindness. It is a time of giving and receiving with gratitude and compassion,” said Mr Houweling.