Joint Logistics Unit (East) Hunter Valley Detachment Officer-in-Charge, John Burke, hates shopping. However, bi-annually he braves the Christmas crowds to ensure the Singleton Salvation Army has enough non-perishables to fill the numerous hampers they distribute to those in need.
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Mr Burke has been co-ordinating this effort for a decade but still finds hitting the supermarkets an onerous task with so much cash to spend.
This year the unit managed to raise $2700 which is up on their previous effort in 2015. He attributes this success to the unit’s generous contractors from all over the region, including Newcastle.
And, the reinforcements arrived just in time as after already making up 40 hampers the Salvo’s stocks of food items are low.
“At this point we need to fill 75 hampers but we are expecting this number to increase by the end of the week,” Salvation Army Captain, Peter Bennett, says. “We also need more gifts for men and teenage boys,” volunteer, Stephen Ryke adds.
