Imagine if you could look back on 2014 and say you had saved a life and brought joy and a ray of hope to a family wracked by the turmoil of domestic violence and homelessness.
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It would be a remarkable year in anyone’s eyes.
The amazing thing is that you can add both of these to your list of achievements for the year by adding another toy to your Christmas shopping list and giving up an hour to donate blood.
Carrie’s Place domestic violence and homelessness services in Maitland needs donations of toys and gifts for 60 families with 100 children living in poverty across the region and has appealed for the people of Maitland to help out.
In the words of Carrie’s Place education worker Wendy Atkinson: “It is a huge relief for these families when they receive a package because it is heartbreaking that they cannot give their children a single gift.
“It is not about consumerism, Santa or baubles – it is about exchanging a gift on Christmas Day.”
The Maitland Blood Bank is also in need of help to ensure it has enough blood for its life-saving and life-giving services over the festive season.
Throughout the year the Mercury has brought to our readers heart-rending stories of numerous people whose fight for life relies on blood products.
Our readers have given generously to appeals for financial assistance to enable some of these people to secure necessary but expensive medical treatments.
By rolling up your sleeve and donating blood you can ensure that all those in need of blood products or transfusions can access them – and it costs nothing but an hour of your time.
A gift and an hour of your time can make a huge difference this Christmas.