Gifts left under the festive tree at Heartland Bank will be putting smiles on the faces of Birthright children, and families, at Christmas.
The organisation in Ashburton has 74 families on their books, many of them new clients.
Birthright social worker Christine Muff said the rising cost of living, especially with regard to housing and groceries, coupled with job losses, was adding to family pressures.
It was nice for the children of Birthright to have some festive cheer this time of year, she said.
Birthright offers a range of services to nurture and inspire families led by one person.
New children’s gifts, wrapped and labelled with gender and age range, can be left under the tree until 3pm on Christmas Eve.
‘‘Our families get secondhand all the time, I think it’s special for them to get something new for Christmas,’’ she said.
Heartland Bank manager Andrew Wilson said the bank had been supporting the initiative in Ashburton for more than 22 years.
‘‘It’s an opportunity to help within the community at a time when it’s needed,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s good to be able to support them.’’
– New, wrapped Christmas gifts for Birthright children, labelled with gender and age range, can be left under the Heartland Bank tree until 3pm on Christmas Eve.
