Toys under the tree for 6,500 Kiwi kids

Toys under the tree for 6,500 Kiwi kids thanks to The Warehouse customers

Generous customers of The Warehouse have donated over 6,500 toys to the Women’s Refuge this Christmas period through a special partnership between Mattel and The Warehouse.

A new initiative this year, customers could purchase a $10 donation at the checkout or online and The Warehouse and Mattel donated a toy on their behalf to Women’s Refuge worth $25.

Shari French, General Manager Community at The Warehouse, says the initiative has been extremely popular, with The Warehouse customers showing kindness and compassion during what can be a stressful time of year.

When women and children escape a violent situation, they often leave with very little.

“You can imagine the look on the kids’ faces when they open one of these toys,” says French.

“We know so many of our customers and staff want to support their communities at Christmas time. This partnership allows us to maximise donations and gift something really special to kids whose Christmases might otherwise be pretty bleak.”

The Warehouse stores where most Mattel donations have been received include Albany (267), Invercargill (223) and Whangarei (214).

The Warehouse has partnered with Women’s Refuge around the country to accept donations for much needed Christmas gifts to women and children affected by violence.

Women’s Refuge Chief Executive Dr Ang Jury says that New Zealand has one of the worst rates of family violence in the world, and an act of family violence is reported every five and half minutes.

“Last Christmas, nearly 4,000 women and children across New Zealand called on the help of Women’s Refuge and nearly half of those were under the age of 18, so we’re very grateful for all the support from The Warehouse and the local community.”

The Warehouse has a long-standing partnership with Women’s Refuge to bring about change to New Zealand’s horrific family violence record. This includes the introduction of its shielded site on thewarehouse.co.nz and a domestic violence leave policy for team members.

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