We can not thank Woolworths Group enough for the kind of support that has enabled a grassroots organisation like ours to create so much joy and magic this Christmas and fill the fridges and bellies of over 30,000 of the most needy families annually! We look forward to our continued partnership in creating a better tomorrow for all 💛 #communitysupport #givingback #gratitude
We’re so proud of our team who stepped in to save Christmas after thieves stole donations from local Sydney charity Community Cafe Incorporated Outreach Service. When BIG W’s Angela Cerasani saw Community Cafe Incorporated founder and CEO Kirsty Parkes’ appeal on Facebook for toy donations to replace the $5000 worth of toys stolen in a raid on her charity, she hit the phones to rally team members. “Watching Kirsty’s heartbreaking video really tugged at my heartstrings,” says Angela, who is BIG W’s product quality support specialist and a mother of two. Within hours, Kirsty was thrilled to learn Woolworths Group was donating $3000 worth of new toys and an additional $15,000 worth of clothes and homewares. “We are now so ridiculously good that we are doing, for the first time ever, toy hampers for families,” Kirsty says, adding that Angela and her teammates have helped save Christmas for dozens of families. Her charity will provide 600 families with a special Christmas dinner this year, after forging a partnership with seven Woolworths stores in western Sydney over the past two years. “Woolies was a game changer for us as an organisation,” says Kirsty, who adds that 90 per cent of the fresh meat and vegetables and assorted groceries she gives away to families in need come from Woolworths stores. Brad Glasspole, who is store manager at Woolworths in Miller, started the wonderful partnership because he saw firsthand just how tough his community was doing it. “Our support of the Community Cafe is just about bringing that community together,” says Brad, who was inspired to help when he heard about Kirsty and the incredible work she is doing in the financially strapped community. “It’s so rewarding to be a part of it, and to be able to give back and show what good looks like in terms of community,” he says. Brad, who recently celebrated 20 years working at Woolworths in Miller, helped wrap some of the toys donated by BIG W to brighten up the lives of the children in his area. “Christmas is my favourite time of the year.” Thank you to our team who helped save Christmas, and to Kirsty for everything you do for your community. To discover more read here https://lnkd.in/gAh4HWjf