ACT Policing, Canberra community rallies to support Kids in Care
From primary school kids to local businesses, Canberrans have come together to bring joy to vulnerable children in care.
Canberra Star
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The Canberra community has come together to support vulnerable children ahead of the festive season.
For the 10th year, the Kids in Care charity drive has provided hundreds of presents to young people in the foster system.
The charity began after ACT Policing officer John Giles attended a heartbreaking house call leading up to the 2013 festive season.
“There were four small children at the location who had obvious signs of neglect (including) a baby only a few weeks old,” Detective Senior Constable Alex Uren said during the event.
“One of the girls asked John if she could show him her Christmas tree, which she described to him as beautiful.
“She took him inside and what he saw was a tattered Christmas tree with not even one or two baubles on it and no Christmas presents underneath.
“He was mortified, and when he went back to Woden Police Station he threw the hat around asking for donations so he could buy presents for those children.”
Senior Constable Uren said Mr Giles was blown away by the generosity of his colleagues, and he contacted Child and Youth Protection Services to ask if they could do anything with the extra presents he received.
Following this impromptu good deed, Kids in Care became a yearly charity drive, with 1000 vulnerable children in the ACT and surrounds to receive gifts.
Among the supporters recognised at a morning tea on Friday was Year 4 student Zach.
For the last two years Zach and his family have fundraised for Kids in Care.
The year four student said he mainly wanted to “help other kids out” and said it was “really nice” to make a difference to kids less fortunate than him.
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