The Tree of Joy has been a Rotary Hutt City project for a number of years and is a great way of involving the community who donate gifts that are distributed to local charities who in turn pass out the gifts to children aged 1-17 years from less fortunate families.Our partner is the Salvation Army, who uplift the donated presents, sort them into age and gender categories and then pack them to each charity's requirements. The charities provide numbers of gifts they need to distribute to their families.
This year we ran the 'Tree' for 11 days prior to Christmas, finishing at 6.00 pm on Christmas Eve. With 5-7 two-hour slots per day to ensure the Tree was manned at all times during Queensgate's opening hours it could have been a big ask to get volunteers, however the club members and friends readily signed up and we had the roster complete in no time.
Club members enjoy the project and find it heart-warming hearing the stories of those who donate. Some donate remembering their own tough childhoods, others donate to teach their children that not everyone is as fortunate as them, some collect presents throughout the year and bring them at one time. The reasons are endless.
The whole project ran like clockwork and we're hugely grateful to the Rotarian helpers who assisted setting up and packing down the Tree; to Packaging Products for the beautiful new signage and making the Tree 'pop' and look enticing; to those who 'ran' the presents between Queensgate and the Salvation Army buildings; to Brent at the Army who managed their whole side of the operation; and finally to all the members and friends who were happy to be rostered on 1, 2 or 3 timeslots to ensure the Tree was fully manned.
Roll on December 2020 and we'll do it all again!
Roll on December 2020 and we'll do it all again!