Making

By Emily Browne
The joint initiative between the Target and Target Country stores and UnitingCare asks the community to donate gifts in store for those in need.
People can get involved at their local Target or Target Country store, all which have large red Operation Santa trees, and the community is asked to take a tag from the tree then to buy a gift or a Target gift card to donate.
“There are many people in our community who struggle through the festive season, for reasons including financial difficulties, mental illness, homelessness, family turmoil and absence of loved ones,” said Tom Griggs, who is distributing the gifts donated at Target Pakenham.
The operation hopes to bring some of the joy of Christmas to the estimated two million Australians living in poverty, one in 10 of whom are children, this festive season.
“We’re asking the public to give an extra present and use their Christmas spirit to bring love, joy and hope to those in our community who are less fortunate,” said Mr Griggs.
The gifts given by the community through Operation Santa will the support the efforts of UnitingCare as the demand for their services increases over the Christmas season.
The national project aims to collect 100,000 gifts for those in need this year, building on the 65,000 that were donated last festive season.
UnitingCare volunteers will collect the gifts and distribute them to those in need in the community of the store in which they were purchased.
Operation Santa will run in Target stores until Thursday 23 December.