Overjoyed, that’s how Kempsey Salvation Army Captain Karen Keddie described her feelings after the Kempsey community rallied to make the Salvo’s annual Christmas toy appeal a success.
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“We helped make more than 150 children very happy at Christmas time, with donations of toys flooding in,” Captain Keddie said.
“As well as the toys we also had several large, anonymous cash donations which will also help make some Kempsey families lives a bit easier this year.”
Captain Keddie said that she truly believed that Kempsey had a spirit that few towns in Australia could match.
“There really is something really special about the spirit of the Kempsey community,” she said.
“Yes there are problems in the town with crime, but the way the community comes together is so wonderful.
“I actually requested to come to Kempsey when I was given the choice of where I wanted to be posted and I really believe this is where I am meant to be.”
Captain Keddie said the outlook for the year ahead was not looking good and the Salvo’s were likely to be seeing more people coming to them for aid and trying to help a growing number of clients in a still difficult economy.
“Unfortunately I would have to say it looks like more of the same this year with a growing number of people needing our help,” she said.
“All indications are that we will see an increasing number of families needing some form of assistance with the overwhelming majority being people we have not seen before.
“In some ways this is a good sign because it means that the effort we make in educating our clients about budgeting and being responsible with their money is paying off and they are able to make it without our help.
“On the other hand it still means there are many families in our community that need a bit of a hand to make it.”
Captain Keddie said she was looking forward to flying the flag for the Salvo’s as a community partner at different events this year, and not just as a charitable organisation.
“It is important for us to be as active in the community as we can,” she said.
“Sometimes I think people get the impression that the Salvo’s are a bit scary and unapproachable but that is not the case at all.”