Community Toy Appeal which helped more than 100 families across Lurgan and Portadown at Christmas is praised
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Carla Stevenson from Northern Ireland Alternatives (NIA) thanked all the groups and individuals in the Portadown and Lurgan areas who supported the Toy Appeal launched by Regenerate in partnership with NIA.
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She said: “Their help ensured that Regenerate were able to support over 100 local families in Portadown and Lurgan in the run-up to Christmas.”
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Carla said: "The pressures on households within our local communities during this cost of living crisis cannot be underestimated. We as a group felt that something needed to be done to assist those most vulnerable and the Toy Appeal at this time of year was agreed as the best option. This was the second year that we ran the Regenerate Toy Appeal in partnership with Northern Ireland Alternatives and the response we got this year was absolutely phenomenal.
“The support we received from more than 36 groups and organisations since we launched the Toy Appeal last October has been overwhelming. They do not have much income, but they made it a priority to support the appeal. Much of the positive work that these partner groups do within the community regularly goes unseen and is often marginalised.
“The local community rallied behind the Toy Appeal and ensured that we were able to help out more than 100 local families in the run-up to Christmas. It made my colleagues and I so proud to see amazing things happen when people come together. It created a real buzz and sense of community as we co-ordinated collection points and deliveries. We had groups talking to each other who had never met before.
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Hide Ad“We had people collecting, sorting and distributing the toys over a three-week period in the run up to Christmas, all on a voluntary basis. We also had individual acts of kindness such as local butcher Trevor Lewis who prepared Christmas starter packs. I want to thank every single one of them.
“The Regenerate/NIA Toy Appeal could only happen with the support of the community and in particular those partner groups who regularly participate in the work that Regenerate undertakes.