By Kyra Gillespie
The Salvation Army Pakenham hosted a bustling Community Christmas Carnival over the weekend.
There was a large range of activities running on the free family day on Saturday 15 December, including a jumping castle, fairy floss, ponies, face painting, show bags, a bake sale and much more.
Volunteers from the local fire brigades stopped by for the festivities, and even Santa found some time to say hello to the kids in the lead up to his big toy run.
“It was great spending time with people, talking with people and letting them know we’re here,” Salvation Army volunteer Margaret Searle said.
“Christmas is a difficult time of year for so many families; it was nice to be able to put that cheer back on people’s faces when they’re feeling down and out.”
There’s no slowing down for the Pakenham Salvos, who have been busy collecting and distributing Christmas hampers to families and individuals in need.
“It’s absolutely been a blessing; so many members of the community have come together to do what they can after finding out what happened to the 4Cs,” Ms Searle said.
“People have been turning up with toys, food – you name it. The generosity has been great; it’s amazing how the community has pulled together.
“There are so many heartache stories out there, but if we can make it happy for them and for their children it can make a world of difference.”
