For the past month staff members from Central Queensland University (CQU) Mackay have been donating Christmas goodies and non-perishable food items to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.

Staff members have donated all sorts of items for Christmas, from tinned food, plum puddings and Christmas baked goods to nuts, sweets and lollies for the kids, and CQU Mackay has also made a cash donation to the appeal.

According to Administration Assistant Diane Walshe who has been collecting the donations, “the pink box has been filled twice already and we are now filling it for the third time”.

“It’s all for a good cause,” she said, “and it’s a good way of putting something back into the community to help those less fortunate than ourselves.".

“Everyone has been more than happy to donate items,” said Diane, “and most people make comments like, ‘Ooh look at all those goodies’ or ‘Ooh Yum.’”.

Some staff members have even donated Lion’s Christmas Cakes, so they are not only buying from a charity but then giving back to a charity”. A double donation!.

The Salvation Army – affectionately known as ‘The Salvos’ – is one of Australia’s most well-loved charities, with research revealing it is by far the most highly thought of charities in Australia. Every year the Salvation Army feeds hundreds of thousands of Australians in need, and the busiest time of the year is from November through to January.

This year, The Salvation Army has celebrated 125 years of service in Australia.

To find out more about donating to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal you can visit their website at: http://salvos.org.au/donations.

Photo above: CQU Administration Officers Diane Walshe and Carole Macnaughtan with the third box of Christmas treats donated to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal by CQU Mackay.