Christmas cheer spread to 2 500 underprivileged children
At each drop-off point, the trucks were met by excited cries, joyful smiles and songs of praise.
For 2 500 underprivileged children living in squatter camps, community centres and orphanages in and around Johannesburg, Christmas came early this year thanks to a generous delivery of Christmas buckets courtesy of the Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation (NCCF).
Six Nashua franchise trucks were loaded with Christmas buckets containing essential foods, stationery packs and treats for children from 12 of the 54 charities that the NCCF assists. Bikers from the Harley Owners Group (Hog) led by the Johannesburg chapter director, Jeff Hampton escorted one of the trucks from Woodmead Makro to Abangani Enkosini in Alexandra, which added to the overall excitement of the day.
The other trucks drove far and wide, delivering Christmas buckets to Katlehong, Soweto, Ivory Park, Vosloorus, Krugersdorp West and Eikenhof.
At each drop-off point, the trucks were met by excited cries, joyful smiles and songs of praise as the buckets were handed out to the children from the charity organisations the NCCF chose for this year’s Christmas bucket delivery.
“You wouldn’t believe the difference this delivery has made in the lives of some of the children who received the buckets,” says Helen Fraser, director of the NCCF.
“For some of them this is the only treat they will get this Christmas, so to be given a bucket packed full of goodies makes them feel part of the Christmas spirit, which is what Christmas is all about.”
This is the second year that the NCCF has arranged a Christmas bucket delivery for underprivileged children and the total number of buckets delivered has grown from 2 000 to 2 500, with plans under way to grow that number even more in 2014.
“Our hope for the future is that one day we will be able to provide Christmas buckets for all the charities we assist and in doing so, provide some Christmas cheer for those who need it the most,” said Fraser.
