Aussies gift Christmas joy for refugee and asylum seeker children
The spirit of Christmas is alive and well with thousands helping to bring toys to refugee and asylum seeker children. For many it will be their first Aussie Christmas.
South West
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A tiny team of volunteers are delivering on their festive hope to give toys to refugee and asylum seeker kids across Brisbane this Christmas.
The Refugee and Asylum Seeker Toy Drive has seen people across the country donate thousands of dollars for the purchase of toys, with Woolloongabba based Multicultural Australia helping to deliver some of those presents.
Multicultural Australia CEO Kerrin Benson said the toy drive was a “wonderful example of the generosity and goodwill of Australians”.
“The toys and the spirit of welcome and compassion in which they are given are deeply appreciated by families who in many cases are having their first Aussie Christmas,” Ms Benson said.
The organisation, which settles over 3400 refugees in Queensland each year, helps to find new homes, jobs and connect refugees with their new communities.
“As we know Christmas can be a difficult time for any of us, especially if we are away from family or far from home,” Ms Benson said.
Thirty agencies across Australia will help to distribute the toys, purchased through individual donations and major contributions from leading Australian businesses.
Moose Toys and Grill’d restaurants across Australia supported the toy drive raising thousands for the charity.
Moose Toys’ Belinda Gruebner said the company could not have “partnered with a better cause in the lead up to Christmas”.
“In addition to the toys we donated our team had the honour of being attend to attend a celebration with local refugee families and to learn about their cultures, their stories and how they came to call Australia their new home,” MS Gruebner said.
The Asylum Seeker Toy Drive began in November 2015, growing into a registered charity in 2018.
People can still donate via the website and register to help in 2020.
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