The spirit of Christmas shines in the face of adversity

Recent fires in South Australia have had an enormous impact on families and communities in fire affected areas.

One Tree Hill Uniting Church and UCare Gawler are putting together hampers for families and individuals who have experienced the devastation of the fires. UC Invest is proud it can assist their efforts with an $8,000 grant.

UCare Gawler is a community organisation in the UnitingCare network, providing emergency assistance to those in the Gawler region. The recent Pinery bushfires saw UCare Gawler undertake one of their biggest relief efforts to date.

They moved quickly into action with 15 volunteers cooking food, packing boxes and sharing clothes with people who lost everything.

Gawler is on the southern fringe of the Pinery bushfire area. Many have lost much, some have lost everything. UCare is providing emergency relief for many families. We also provide over 400 Christmas hampers to our clients each year. This year we will need to add hampers for many victims of the bushfire who would not otherwise have received one. Thanks to UC Invest for the funding that will enable us to stretch our Christmas hamper program to cover all these. Richard Carter, CEO, UCare Gawler.

Ingrid, Humbug Scrub Animal Rescue Manager and local coordinator for the Target and Uniting Care Christmas Appeal, is helping pack hampers at One Tree Hill Uniting Church. She has her own experiences to draw on. Her home, while still standing, was gravely affected by the Sampson Flat fire in January. Many animals were lost and the area decimated by the blaze.

Our deepest thanks to all the volunteers, for their dedication and determination to care for others. That is the true spirit of Christmas!


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