More than 6,500 toys have been donated to the Women's Refuge this Christmas, thanks to generous customers of The Warehouse.
It's a new initiative where customers could purchase a $10 donation at the checkout or online and The Warehouse and Matte donated a toy on their behalf to Women's Refuge worth $25.
General Manager Community at The Warehouse Shari French says the initiative has proven popular, with customers showing kindness and compassion during what can be a stressful time of the year.
“You can imagine the look on the kids’ faces when they open one of these toys,” says French.
“We know so many of our customers and staff want to support their communities at Christmas time. This partnership allows us to maximise donations and gift something really special to kids whose Christmases might otherwise be pretty bleak.”
The Warehouse stores where most Mattel donations have been received include Albany (267), Invercargill (223) and Whangarei (214).
The Warehouse has partnered with Women’s Refuge around the country to accept donations for much needed Christmas gifts to women and children affected by violence.
Women’s Refuge Chief Executive Dr Ang Jury says that New Zealand has one of the worst rates of family violence in the world, and an act of family violence is reported every five and half minutes.
“Last Christmas, nearly 4,000 women and children across New Zealand called on the help of Women’s Refuge and nearly half of those were under the age of 18, so we’re very grateful for all the support from The Warehouse and the local community.”