Embracing the spirit of Christmas

This week I had the privilege of dropping off a trolley full of presents that were donated by Councillors to the Maitland Neighbourhood Centre in Rutherford.

I always enjoy dropping into the centre and admiring the incredible work the team do, not only at Christmas, but every single day of the year. As I entered the centre I was blown away by the many volunteers that were busy buzzing around, packing food hampers, sorting toys and gifts and doing their small part for the many disadvantaged people in our community.

The presents that I delivered this week are just a small part of the donations and contributions that the centre receives each year from wonderful people across our community. And that’s what I love about our community. The eagerness to get behind and support our city’s most at need is truly amazing. 

This year, the centre will provide food hampers to more than 200 local families, as well as hundreds of toys and gifts for so many children that would otherwise not receive presents on Christmas morning. Thank you to everyone who donated food, presents and/or their time, you are remarkable people.

This is my final column for the year and without doubt 2017 has been an incredibly humbling experience. I am so proud to be Mayor of our city and I am looking forward to another busy and successful year ahead.

I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas, please stay safe especially if you are travelling these holidays. I hope you can join me on Sunday 31 December to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the banks of the Hunter River.