The Upper Clutha community has once again shown its generosity in the lead-up to Christmas, helping Community Link deliver vital support to families and seniors across the region.

More than 100 individual donations were received during the Christmas Campaign, including food, vouchers, gifts and financial contributions. Donations ranged from home-cooked treats to activity passes and essential grocery vouchers, helping ensure support matched the real needs of local households. Volunteers also gave their time, helping sort, pack and deliver parcels and hampers throughout the Upper Clutha.

To guide donations, Community Link shared a list of priority items available from New World on its website. The link became the most visited page of the campaign, helping donors provide items that were genuinely useful.

Thanks to this community support, over 90 food parcels were delivered in December, along with 94 Christmas hampers for families and 80 gift bags for seniors. Around 30 percent of the parcels and hampers went to Hāwea families, with the remainder supporting households in Wānaka and Luggate.

Ian Maxwell, Community Link’s chair, said: “All the donations were more than just food or presents, they were acts of kindness that showed people they were seen, valued and supported, even during what can be a tough time of year.”

While the campaign officially has finished, donations are still coming in and are incredibly welcome. Donations can be made on the Support Us page of the Community Link website.