Strathalbyn and surrounding residents are getting into the festive spirit by donating items towards an annual Christmas hamper drive.

Donations are needed now more than ever, as those behind local charitable groups say more people are needing help.

“We’re seeing a lot of new people who we’ve never seen before asking for help,” Inter Church Council’s Sue Eckert said.

“It’s really, really hard and a lot of people are finding new problems that they’ve not met before.

“The power has gone up, the cost of fuel (and) food’s gone up.”

Last year, the incredible community effort collected and donated 208 hampers to households of one to nine people, reaching 600 residents.

Recipients are referred through agencies or schools and kept confidential, broken down into the number of people at each household, and their ages and genders.

Often those who refer personally donate the hampers.

“They’re not coming from a stranger,” Ms Eckert said.

“The hampers are important because someone’s saying ‘I’m aware of you’.

“It’s saying ‘someone’s aware of you’ and ‘we care about you and this is for you’.”

Ms Eckert thinks of some families, such as with a single-parent, where the parents may not receive a gift.

“So, even if it’s just a block of chocolate wrapped up in Christmas paper, it’s just somebody’s thought about you and cared enough to wrap it up; somebody has taken the time,” Ms Eckert said.

Organisers behind the drive are grateful towards the supportive community and unique collaboration between organisations to make this happen.

“When (the community) feels the cause is worthwhile, they get on board and they are very generous,” Ms Eckert said.

“(Strathalbyn is) one of the greatest places… we live in a fabulous place.”

“That’s one of the things the church has been called for, for a long time, is to help others and that’s what we do,” Country Life Compassion’s Paquita Wise added.

Some suggested items to donate include non-perishable food and toiletries, such as tinned goods, cereals, pasta, toothpaste and soap.

The Strathalbyn Inter Church Council initiative is a collaborative effort with many other local organisations where donations can be dropped off until December 8, including Raine & Horne Strathalbyn, The Pantry Club, Strathalbyn Churches Bookshop, Milang Old School House Community Centre (MOSHCC), Strath Neighbourhood Centre, Strathalbyn Woolworths, Vinnies, local schools, churches and housing groups.

Raine & Horne Strathalbyn sales consultant, Sally Ness, thinks highly of the initiative, with the local business acting as a drop-off point between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

“I think it’s wonderful and I’ve supported them from afar, as a delivery spot, for quite a number of years,” she said.

“I’m more than happy to come and collect from someone if they can’t come into the office, they just have to ring me, I’ll drive around any time.”

If you would prefer to donate funds towards the cause, you can do so via the Inter Church Council’s Christmas hamper account: (BSB: 704 942, account number: 100 846 165).