12/14/2009

Spreading Christmas cheer

Christmas cheer was delivered to 72 needy families in west London by a furniture re-use vehicle rather than Santa’s sleigh.

Staff from Furnish, west London’s furniture re-use service, spent two days delivering more than 100 hampers prepared by Family Friends, a charity which offers support and mentoring for families in need.

The Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham was on hand to personally deliver two of the hampers.

The hampers are individually tailored to each family and contain toys, books, jewellery and food to help ease the pressures of the festive season.

Furnish, Shepherds Bush Housing Group’s furniture re-use charity, and Family Friends deliver the hampers across Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea.

Mark Hardy, manager at Furnish, said: “We have delivered the hampers for the last four years. We are glad that we can help the families receive lots of gifts over the festive season. It is great that two charities work together to help so many people.”

Frewenyni Gebreselassie received one of the hampers. She said: “The help from Family Friends is fantastic. I can spend some one on one time with my son Yafet who has autism. Andrea [a volunteer from Family Friends] helps my daughter, Hermela, with homework or read books. The hampers are a lovely gift; we give some of the toys to our children as Christmas presents.”