2344 days ago

Keeping the dignity in charity

St Vincent de Paul Society Wellington

💙 We need your help to fill the Merry Vinnies toy shop! 💙

Piloted in 2018, A Merry Vinnies Christmas came from our drive to give whānau seeking our services more choice over what they receive.

A Merry Vinnies Christmas offers a shopping style experience to families seeking help over the holiday period, giving them the dignity, ownership and choice to choose the presents they receive from us.

🎁 How:
The Vinnies Welfare & Service hub transforms into a festive toy shop over December. Unwrapped, donated gifts for children aged 0 – 16 years, are displayed for whānau to come and choose from.

Gifts are sorted and displayed in values of 1, 2 and 3 tokens. Each child receives 3 tokens worth of gifts – so a parent can decide if they want 1 big present, or maybe 3 smaller gifts to fill up a stocking.

A wrapping station is available so whānau can enjoy wrapping each gift from a variety of paper, ribbons and stickers – further fostering the feeling that each gift is coming from them and not a charity.

In 2018, 81 individuals and families chose gifts for 256 children from the Merry Vinnies toy shop.

🎁 We need your support!
We need supporters like you and your team to collect gifts for the Merry Vinnies toy shop.

Gift criteria:
•Appropriate 0-16 years old
•Unwrapped
•New/ near new condition
•We’re always short on gifts for teenage boys (12 – 16 years)
•Drop-off by 28 November

💙The old saying goes ‘Christmas is the time for giving’. Let’s go a step further and make sure this ‘giving’ puts the dignity and mana of our wider community whānau first.

Contact: marketing@vinnieswgtn.org.nz

Image

Supporter Call_A Merry Vinnies Christmas 2019.pdf Download View

More messages from your neighbours
7 days ago

Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!

William Hansby Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.

Image
5 days ago

🧩😏 Riddle me this, Neighbours…

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Do you think you know the answer?

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

Image
3 days ago

Scam Alert: Bank cold calls

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.

🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.

Remember, banks will:​​
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes​​
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device​​
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.

If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.

Image