Volunteers pack festive cheer (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Volunteers pack festive cheer
9:00am Thursday 22nd December 2011 in News By Emily Roberts
Gazette reporter Emily Roberts with Richard Gaudion from the Salvation Army
CHRISTMAS gifts will be delivered to deserving families and individuals in Basingstoke this week as part of a charity appeal.
Volunteers from the Salvation Army have been putting together food hampers, using donated items, and collecting presents for children.
Amongst the items are a box full of goodies given by The Gazette, which were bought in Festival Place as part of a Christmas shopping feature which appeared in our paper on Monday.
The gifts, which will be handed out to families in Basingstoke, include children’s toys, chocolates, CDs, books, jewellery, Christmas decorations and food.
Major Richard Gaudion, from the Salvation Army, in Wessex Close, was busy packing hampers when The Gazette arrived with our donations.
Other companies which have donated items to the Salvation Army are AXA Wealth, National Policing Improvement Agency, URS Scott Wilson, and Tiny Oaks Pre-school, in Oakridge, Basingstoke, which gave 20 shoeboxes filled with presents.
Major Gaudion said members of the public had also dropped in to donate gifts. He added: “We believe God gave the greatest gift of baby Jesus to the world so that’s why we do this.
“We have a good team of loyal and dedicated helpers who are very busy during December. We have had about 300 items donated. The public are very generous.”
