The Christmas hampers are a tradition for the family who have now been collecting goods in the run-up to the holiday for five years.
Pictured: Joanna (second from the left) and her family get together every year to make the hampers.
After donating food to the Shelter, the family decided to do something different to make Christmas just a little bit more festive for the homeless and came up with the idea of the hampers.
“The initiative came from the idea of people less fortunate to have gifts to open on Christmas Day,” Ms Gomes said. “That’s why we deliver every year to them to bring the real meaning of Christmas to others.”
Every year, the family invites islanders to drop off items at the restaurant and to join them on 24 December to pack the hampers.
Pictured: Last year, the family made 48 hampers.
Last year, 30 people took part, including Ms Gomes’ family and their friends but also islanders who donated their time along with teams from local banks and finance companies.
Together they made 48 hampers that the Gomes’ family brought the following day to the Shelter Trust.
This year, the family is calling for donations of “all delicious things and toys”, but also blankets, gloves, hats, mugs, sweet treats and baked goods. They can be dropped off at Soy until Christmas Eve.
Pictured: An islander launched an appeal for donation after one cold night.
The Shelter Trust recently received a large donation of food, clothing, sleeping bags and toiletries following an appeal from an islander who wishes to remain anonymous.
The woman explained that a cold night that got her thinking about the homeless throughout Jersey and the UK, she contacted the local shelter to ask about what kind of items they needed.
She then put out an appeal on social media asking islanders for donations. “We are all so fortunate and a small gift from us can mean the world to someone who has nothing,” she wrote in her appeal.
“After all, nobody sets out to be or to remain homeless. The reasons why an individual becomes homeless are many, nonetheless, several reasons as cited often enough by homeless people to bear repetition here; unemployment, substance misuse, mental health difficulties, physical health difficulties, returning to the community from prison, relationship breakdown and sometimes there is a lack of appropriate, affordable accommodation.”
Pictured: Islanders donated food, clothing and toiletries.
The woman says she was humbled by the number of “amazing generous people” who answered her call, buying or “rummaging” in their house for items to donate.
“Nobody sets out to be or to remain homeless, to everyone who donated, you all played such an important part by giving food, clothing toiletries, Christmas gifts and sleeping bags for those cold winter months,” she said.
“I had such an amazing response with the generosity of our local community and employees from CPA, Barclays, RBS, KPMG and Ogier setting up donation boxes that we ended up with a Ford transit van full of amazing donations.
“How amazing is our island, they have been so generous.”