Imagine a child waking up to nothing under the tree...

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Dear Our Villager,

In the last few days social workers have been arriving at our warehouses to collect their orders and they’ve been sharing a stark prediction: this Christmas is going to be incredibly tough for so many families.

It’s heartbreaking.

No child in Our Village should miss out on the magic and joy of Christmas.

But this year, children in Victoria will be waking up without any gifts on Christmas morning, and many won’t have the essentials they need to thrive either. Warm clothes. Blankets. A safe place to sleep.

We need your help to reach every child on our waitlist. [[link removed]] They're waiting for items that keep them secure and safe – clothes, a pram, a cot and toiletries.

We’re determined to meet their urgent needs, but we also want to give children a little extra gift by spreading love, hope and dignity this Christmas.

For each order that we prepare this festive period, we want to add something a little extra - a book pack, to brighten Christmas morning. But we need your help to make it happen.

Will you donate today and help deliver urgent essentials - with a little festive magic, for only $25? [[link removed]]

It's been a while since you last supported us – our name has changed! – but our work to support vulnerable babies and children in Victoria remains the same. And the need for your help has only grown. Please consider making a Christmas donation because it’s going to be a tough one this year - with so many children on our waitlist.

Your kindness will mean the world to people who are facing hardship – like Krystle*.

Late last year, just before Christmas, Krystle reached out to Naomi, an Anglicare Emergency Support Worker connected to Our Village. Krystle’s sister and niece were coming to stay, and while she was excited to see them, she was anxious about having extra mouths to feed. Naomi helped her with some food assistance, and she was deeply thankful.

But the next time Naomi saw Krystle, everything had changed. She was pale and shaking. When Naomi asked if she was okay, she broke down in tears.

Her sister had passed away suddenly – leaving her as the full-time carer for her 10-year-old niece.

At 45, with grown-up children in their twenties, she never expected to be raising a child again. She relies on disability support, her rent has gone up, and every dollar was stretched thin.

When she looked at the growing list of things her niece would need – clothes, shoes, school supplies – it felt impossible.

That’s when Naomi reached out to Our Village.

“Every time we've had anything to do with Our Village, it's been a really great experience because it’s such good quality,” Naomi says.

Can you help us respond to urgent orders this Christmas? Please will you send $25, $59 or an amazing $201 to help children receive what they most urgently need – along with a little bit of festive magic? Donate Now [[link removed]]

Krystle was so relieved to have Naomi order clothes and shoes from Our Village, but there was something else that she was dreaming of providing for her niece: she wanted to give her an escape – and because her favourite thing to do is read – she desperately wanted to give her a new book.

When the order from Our Village arrived three days later – lovingly packed by one of our volunteers – they found beautiful, high quality pre-loved clothes and shoes inside.

“It was a breathtaking moment,” Naomi explains. “She looked at me and she had tears in her eyes, which instantly affected me. And I’m like, ‘open the bag!’ And that undid us because it had books inside. It was a really magical moment.”

I hope you can see that when you give to Our Village, you’re not just providing clothes or books. You’re restoring dignity, wrapping children in care, and reminding them that they’re seen, valued, and not forgotten.

Will you help us deliver urgent essentials and a little festive magic this year? [[link removed]] Your gift will help deliver pre-loved book packs, lovingly assembled by an Our Village volunteer.

For a child who had lost so much, this small act of kindness – her own collection of books – meant the world.

And for her Aunty – struggling to hold things together, worried about bills, trying to be strong – it reminded her she wasn’t alone.

“The books were like the sprinkle on top,” Naomi told us.

This Christmas, you can be part of that magic. Because that’s exactly what we try to do at this time of year, spread joy. Deliver the essentials, with a little sprinkle of festive cheer.

Please – will you send your Christmas gift today and bring hope to a family who needs it most?

There are hundreds of families like Krystle’s on our waitlist, still hoping for help. Each one needs the same essentials – and the same reminder that they’re not forgotten.

Will you bring back the magic this Christmas? [[link removed]]

Your kindness can create another breathtaking moment – one filled with hope, dignity and care.

With my warmest thanks,

Ruth Holdaway MBE

CEO, Our Village

P.S. Your gift of $25, $59 or an amazing $201 will help us deliver essentials – and a touch of Christmas joy – to families across Victoria today! [[link removed]]

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