"Hampers help give a Christmas feel to homeless people"

Tuesday 19 December 2017

Islanders are being asked to get into the festive spirit by helping put together Christmas hampers that will be distributed by the Shelter Trust on 25 December, to make the day just a little bit better for homeless people.

Toiletries, food, festive goods, children's toys, hats and scarves are some of the items that islanders are being asked to donate to fill the hampers.

For the past three years, Joanna Gomes, manager at Soy, has been collecting goods in the run up to Christmas to put the hampers together. She told Express: "We used to donate things from Soy and our old restaurant to the Shelter and we also took part in the Tinathon and the Soup Kitchen. Three years ago, I decided to do something more for Christmas Day.

"We all enjoy Christmas and it is nice to do that for homeless people who may not have a gift otherwise. It gives them something to open on a day and it is usually things they can't afford."

The hampers are a family affair for Ms Gomes. Every year on Christmas Eve, they gather with friends at Soy to make the hampers which they then deliver on Christmas Day to the Shelter Trust on Kensington Place. She explains: "Everyone is involved. We have something to drink and some mince pies while making the hampers, it is all in the spirit of Christmas. It is nice as well for the children to see that Christmas is not just about receiving presents."

Pictured: The hampers being made in Soy last Christmas.

Ms Gomes says that the response to her first appeal was amazing and it has only been getting better and better year on year. "It started with family and friends. Then people we didn't know got involved and some make the effort to bake some cakes every year. The banks also got involved and started buying food and other items. This year we are also receiving help from Olio as Elis Joudalova got in touch and said she wanted to support us. Every bit helps."

This Christmas, Ms Gomes has been asking for toiletries, "necessities the people at the shelter can't afford," including women's toiletries such as tampons or hygienic towels. Non-perishable and perishable food, children toys, hats, scarves as well as festive baked goods are all welcome. Ms Gomes says: "It doesn't have to be expensive, it can be from the pound shop or unwanted items that people don't use anymore."

Pictured: Some of the donations made for the hampers last Christmas.

The hampers are always well received at the Shelter. Stuart Campbell, project manager at Aztec House, has been giving up his Christmas Day for the past 14 years to cook a Christmas lunch at the shelter. He says that the hampers are greatly appreciated. "We try to have a traditional Christmas, so we will have a main meal at 13:00 and then have snacks and nibbles. The beautiful home baked cakes in the hampers always go down nicely throughout the day. 

"The hampers really help give a seasonal feel to the day and bring some normality to it. People love them. It is nice to be able to give them something. It really helps us going through the year as well, it has been phenomenal for us. It makes for an amazing day and experience for all."

Islanders can drop off their donations this week at Soy in the West Centre up until 14:00 on Christmas Eve.