The Gift of Giving Connects Communities Across Australia

Children and Parents at a Palm Beach Early Learning Centre have generously donated 16 boxes of Christmas Gifts to an Aboriginal community in remote Northern Territory. 

The Christmas Gifts Appeal was part of Kids On 4th Early Learning Centre’s annual end of year charitable giving campaign. 

Centre Director, Rachael Egerton comments, “Every year we run a charity campaign, this year we decided to support Aboriginal families and children in the remote community of Urapunga.” 

“The response from families at Kids on 4th has been overwhelming, in just a few weeks we received donated presents totalling 16 large boxes which were shipped out to Urapunga last week care of Nighthawk Transport, just in time for Christmas”.

Urapunga is located 600km south-east of Darwin and is home to around 100 people. The community is part of a network of remote op-shops in outback Australia established by Remote OpShop Project founder Tanya Egerton. Remote OpShop Project redistributes pre-loved goods to support positive economic and social impact for Aboriginal people living in remote Australia.

Earlier this year Tanya and her sister Rachael travelled to the Northern Territory and meet with the Urapunga Elders and sisters Rhonda and Kathleen Duncan and discussed the idea of sending presents out to kids.

Urapunga Elder Rhonda Duncan was supportive of the idea, “Our kids in Urapunga don’t normally get any presents for Christmas, so this will be a huge surprise for them on Christmas day.”

“It means a lot to the community that people so far away care,” said Rhonda.

Down south staff from Origin Energy South Australia also collected Christmas presents and sent an additional ten boxes of gifts and 14 boxes of pre-loved goods for the Urapunga OpShop. 

Founder of Remote OpShop Project Tanya Egerton comments, “I think a lot of people want to support our remote Aboriginal communities, but don’t know how they can help. At Remote OpShop Project, we create a pathway that connects people in a way that is meaningful and empowering for everyone.” 

“We are very grateful to all of our supporters who continually donate to our network of Remote OpShop community partners now and all through the year,” said Tanya

Books, clothes, toys and sports equipment are just some of the gifts that have been wrapped and sent with love, plus second-hand clothing and household goods for the op-shop. 

“The presents are being stored out of sight from the kids. Santa will hand out the presents on Christmas Day, so ‘mum’s the word’ until then,” said Tanya