By Luke Voogt
Santa has taken time out of his hectic Christmas schedule to fly into Corio and raise money for Geelong families in need.
Geelong Mums partnerships co-ordinator Kelly Suvoltos was thrilled to have the jolly red man on board for their fundraising efforts.
“We put in a special request for the big guy to send a little bit of extra money our way because so many families are doing it tough,” she said.
“It’s fabulous, any sort of support we can get is always a great help.”
Corio Village Shopping Centre is offering free photos with Santa, with a call for those who can to donate towards Geelong Mums’ Christmas efforts.
“To have that out at Corio Village to create some awareness for us is fantastic,” Kelly said.
“Any financial donations – particularly at this time of year – go a long way towards cots, prams, car seats and other essentials for families in need.”
According to Geelong Mums, 42 per cent of the families they support suffered negative effects from COVID-19 including homelessness, loss of income and domestic violence.
“We’re still preparing for an avalanche of needs that are coming as we expect the effects of COVID-19 to continue long into next year,” Kelly said.
Geelong Mums had to close its doors to some volunteers and item donations for extended periods in 2020, due to the pandemic.
“But we didn’t close for a day in terms of our distributions,” Kelly said.
According to Geelong Mums, as little as $56 will provide a clothing bundle for a baby or child with more than 100 items to last them a year.
Corio Village’s festive activities will run daily until Christmas Eve with Santa appearing various dates.
Details: coriovillage.com.au.
