February 2014
Gwen Mardle
Christmas 2013 was brightened for many families in Hawke’s Bay when volunteer drivers from the St Vincent de Paul Society delivered their Christmas Cheer parcels.
Each packet contained a frozen chicken and other food items as well as gifts for each family member.
Everything had been donated by parishioners and collected by the local conferences of Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Peter Chanel and St Pius X. In total 64 parcels went out to households in Flaxmere, Hastings and as far afield as Otane and Waipukurau.
‘These gifts enhance Christmas for needy families,’ said Laurie Nicol of the St Peter Chanel conference, ‘and the smiles of delight on the faces of the children and the tears of gratitude from parents warm the hearts of our team of deliverers.’
The St Vincent de Paul Christmas parcels put the finishing touch to a year of reaching out to families in distress in the Hastings area. Two local St Vincent de Paul shops are kept busy collecting and selling donated goods and close to 400 food parcels were distributed in 2013.