Vineyard Compassion thanks Causeway Coast community for helping spread Christmas joy

One of the standout activities was the ‘Big Christmas Bring’ campaign, where the community rallied together to provide donations for Christmas hampers. These hampers, filled with essential items and special Christmas treats, aimed to ensure that individuals and families facing financial hardship could experience some of the comforts that many of us take for granted at Christmas.

In collaboration with Tesco, Vineyard Compassion extended its impact through volunteers giving their time to collect donations at Tesco stores in Coleraine and Portstewart. Shoppers generously contributed groceries to the food bank which allowed the charity to make up over 500 hampers for local people.

Over the last few weeks Vineyard Compassion have welcomed hundreds of people into The Hope Centre where the team created a cosy Christmas feel and a sense of close community for those who might otherwise be feeling lonely or isolated this Christmas time.

"This Christmas, Vineyard Compassion has witnessed the incredible power of community spirit and generosity. Through the Big Christmas Bring campaign and our collaboration with Tesco, we’ve been able to provide Christmas hampers to those who need them most,” said Miriam McAlister, Programme Manager at Vineyard Compassion.

“Unfortunately, Christmas isn’t a time of joy for everyone and we’ve been doing all we can to take some of the stress out of it for people who are feeling the financial strain.”

Vineyard Compassion extended “heartfelt gratitude” to all volunteers, donors, and partners who made these activities possible.