St Vincent de Paul delivers hundreds of Christmas hampers to Cairns families

From festive decorations to food relief, St Vincent de Paul volunteers are spreading Christmas cheer to families across the city ahead of the holiday season.

St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland have been busy packing Christmas hampers which include holiday food, along with essential items for residents in need during the festive season. St Bridget's conference president Paul Gates and vice president Elsie Butler helped fill the Christmas Hampers with festive food and treats. Picture: Brendan Radke

From noodles and pasta to sweet treats and bonbons, the St Vincent de Paul Society is bringing Christmas cheer to struggling families this holiday season.

St Vincent de Paul Society, St Briget’s conference president Paul Gates said the annual hamper drive was an important initiative to help families struggling with housing and cost-of-living.

“It’s all directed towards making Christmas hampers for our companions some of whom are in large families, some in small, some by themselves, some on the streets, some in their cars and some in homes,” Mr Gates said.

St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland have been busy packing Christmas hampers, which include holiday food along with essential items for residents in need during the festive season. Vinnies volunteers Marie van Staveren, Trish Gates, Julie Cronin, Anita Sotiriadis and Susan Muller packed over 300 Christmas hampers to be donated to those in need across Far North Queensland. Picture: Brendan Radke

The Christmas hampers, put together by around 25 volunteers, included food items such as ham, soup, noodles, Christmas decorations and bonbons, donated by school communities.

“Because many people want to be with their families … if you have people coming in specifically for Christmas, then they have the added thing of not only trying to find food for themselves, but also having to find food to feed the guests who are coming,” he said.

St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland have been busy packing Christmas hampers which include holiday food, along with essential items for residents in need during the festive season. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Or they may be going to somebody else’s place and there’s lots of traditions among different groups where there’s an obligation to be hospitable to people.”

St Briget’s conference hamper program co-ordinator Elsie Butler said volunteers had packed around 350 hampers ahead of the festive season.

“I’ve co-ordinated this Christmas hamper program now for about 10 years and every year the demand gets greater,” Ms Butler said.

Vinnies volunteers Julie Cronin and Anita Sotiriadis packed over 300 Christmas hampers to be donated to those in need across Far North Queensland. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I’ve met many of these people and the relief they have, and knowing they can get a Christmas parcel of food is really touching.”

While the organisation was no longer taking food donations, Mr Gates encouraged people to donate to the program financially.

“People can make a donation for a tax deductible receipt through the shops,” he said.

“It’s a bit late for us now to be getting food or that sort of thing … because as well as getting them packed, we’ve got to get them to people.”

Originally published as St Vincent de Paul delivers hundreds of Christmas hampers to Cairns families