Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer and the council are supporting the Samaritans Giving Tree this Christmas.

The appeal for toys, gifts and non-perishable food donations is open until December 18.

While many people enjoy giving the traditional soft fluffy toy at Christmas time, the desperate need is for all typed of gifts for all ages (girls, boys, adults, teenage boys, teenage girls).

Samaritans is always in need of non-perishable food reserves and they need help to restock the shelves, especially at Christmas time.

Collections points for donations are the council’s Raymond Terrace administration building and the Port Stephens Visitor Information Centre in Nelson Bay.

Samaritans also have a Shout Lunch fund-raising initiative. Money raised goes towards cooking and feeding lunch to children, women and men who are experiencing homelessness, have no family, are lonely or have no money to celebrate Christmas.

Donations made to Nelson Bay Real Estate’s Gift Giving Tree will this year benefit the Benevolent Society.

“All gifts received will be donated to the Benevolent Society and given to children that would otherwise go without,” the real estate’s managing director Heath Jones said.

“You can give hope to a child and their family this Christmas by donating an unwrapped gift or food hamper.

“Call in and place your gift under the tree at Nelson Bay Real Estate. Or if you can’t get into our office, call us on 4981 2655 and we will pick it up for you.

“The feedback we have had in previous years from the services that this program has supported has been wonderful, and these gifts really do make a difference to local families.”

Carpet Court in Nelson Bay and Raymond Terrace are helping to bring cheer to children affected by domestic violence this Christmas.

RizeUp Australia and Carpet Court’s first Christmas appeal gives the public an opportunity to make a small contribution but a significant difference to the lives of children. 

“We’re excited to be part of a movement where these homes that RizeUp furnish can start to provide families with new positive memories – every household deserves a Christmas morning full of smiles,” Carpet Court’s chief marketing officer, Kara Norris, said.

“We encourage anyone visiting a participating Carpet Court store… to contribute a gift which will help make somebody’s Christmas.”

All toys and gifts donated to the appeal will be distributed to families who are being supported by leading domestic violence support services. 

Nelson Bay and Raymond Terrace Carpet Courts are donation collection points. For more information find RizeUp Australia on Facebook.

The Examiner and Dowling Real Estate’s 24^th annual Christmas toy appeal will run until December 19. 

Anyone wishing to donate a toy to the appeal can do so between 9am and 5pm weekdays at the Dowling offices in Raymond Terrace and Medowie as well as the Examiner’s office in Raymond Terrace. 

The annual appeal collects hundreds of toys for the Salvation Army which are distributed to Port families needing a hand up at this time of year.

Toy donations are asked to be new, for boys and girls any age and left unwrapped.

More than 500 toys were donated to the toy appeal last year.

Salamander Bay Square owners Charter Hall have continued their partnership with social enterprise Two Good to deliver good this Christmas by helping to raise awareness of family domestic violence. 

Charter Hall has launched its second Delivering Good campaign with Two Good which encourages shoppers to buy a Two Good care pack as a gift and wrap another, which Charter Hall will donate to a local domestic violence shelter.

An interactive gift station has been set up in the Salamander Bay shopping centre with shoppers encouraged to pick a gift box from the gifting wall, pack the gift box with essential care products, wrap it in tissue paper and write a handwritten note.

This will be delivered to a woman living in a domestic violence shelter this Christmas. For $25 not only does the customer donate a bespoke gift to a woman in need, they also take a gift pack home to put under the tree and give to a loved one this Christmas. 

The campaign will wrap up in Salamander Bay on December 15.

Toys donated to the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal are collected by the Salvation Army and distributed to families in the area that are in need.

The appeal will run until Christmas Eve – December 24. Kmart is located inside Salamander Bay Square.

There are a number of ways members of the community can contribute to the appeal:

The Salvation Army is encouraging Port residents to connect with their community – whether it is through participating in Christmas activities, giving a hand up to someone in need, or reaching out to the Salvos for help.  

Not only is The Salvation Army running its annual Christmas Cheer operation in Port Stephens, to provide toys and food for those in need, the Anna Bay and Raymond Terrace-based services are inviting the community to brunch and its Christmas Day services.

The Anna Bay-based Salvation Army is holding a Christmas celebration on Sunday, December 16, a free Christmas brunch on Sunday, December 23 and Christmas Day service on Tuesday, December 25.

These events will be held at The Salvation Army church at 14 Port Stephens Drive, Anna Bay.

The free Christmas brunch for people in the community who wish to connect with others will begin at 10am. The Christmas Day service will be held from 9am.

If you are Tomaree Peninsula based and require assistance at Christmas with food and gifts call (02) 4982 0192.

The Raymond Terrace-based Salvation Army, located at 15 Carmichael Street, will hold a free Christmas lunch at 10.30am on December 23. The Christmas Day service will be held from 9am.

If you are based in Raymond Terrace or surrounds and require assistance at Christmas with food and gifts call (02) 4983 1425.

Donate to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal at salvos.org.au/Christmas or by calling 13 72 58. Donations can also be made in person at any Westpac branch or at Salvo stores.