Salvation Army are calling on New Zealanders to step up and help break poverty this Christmas by preparing for the busy festive season ahead of them as the number of families in need rises.
More than 10,000 people needed help with food parcels between July and September and Christmas is expected to be even busier. Major Pam Waugh, Salvation Army head of social services says, poverty doesn’t take a break on Christmas for those less fortunate families.
"This level of poverty, and the stress and heartache it brings can't be justified," says Major Waugh.
He says, "How can we sit down to a nice Christmas Day meal, surrounded by loved ones, knowing there are thousands of families without anything to eat, let alone gifts under the tree?”
It is deemed by the 2017 Salvation Army State of the Nation report that 300,000 children are living in poverty in this country while half the country’s wealth sits in the top 10 per cent of individuals.
Major Waugh says, “It’s not right and it’s time for us to front up and act as a community.”
In response to critical need, The Salvation Army is asking the New Zealand public to give hope to those who need it most by donating to its Christmas Appeal, which launches today (Monday 20 November).
"Funds raised through the Christmas Appeal give people not only Christmas day to enjoy, but also the tools and support needed to make positive changes for the future.