An Ipswich organisation is making an appeal to help families who have to pretend that Christmas is not happening this year.
Love Ipswich, a community organisation that fights poverty among Suffolk families, returns with its annual project and will deliver Christmas hampers to local vulnerable families.
The charity refers to the recent report, which states that 1 in 3 children in Ipswich live in poverty.
Love Ipswich aims to make local residents feel valued and loved through a number of projects, including self-esteem courses for young girls of high school age and offering practical works in the community, such as gardening and painting.
The charity’s main project every year is the Hamper Appeal.
Love Ipswich gives away luxury hampers filled with a Christmas dinner for a family of four, coupled with a £10 supermarket voucher.
The organisation cooperates with local charities, social services, as well as local organisations and schools to generate a list of referrals for the recipients of the hampers.
Last year, Love Ipswich gave away 260 hampers and helped more than 1040 people.
The organisers of the appeal that launched five years ago said the hampers have made a "monumental difference” in the lives of the individuals and families who received them.
A volunteer who personally delivered one of the hampers last year said: “We visited a family who struggled with job loss and severe anxiety during the COVID pandemic.
“When we showed the mum the hamper, she burst into tears. She has been struggling so much with her mental health and financial situation that she said she was almost going to pretend Christmas wasn’t happening this year.
“She said that the hamper was the best present they had ever received, and it felt like it has been given by a friend.”
The organisation that collaborates with Proclaimers Ipswich, aims to distribute more than 300 hampers within Ipswich and Suffolk this year.
To achieve this, Love Ipswich is asking for support, however big or small.
The organisation prepares workplace and school packs which help people to launch a collection in their workplace and will be organising a fundraising quiz on November 18.
Love Ipswich can be contacted at franmarcus@proclaimers.com
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