Canberra Institute of Technology staff have made Christmas special for local Indigenous families, their giving tree crowded with presents on Friday.
The recipient of the donated gifts this year is EveryMan, a Canberra organisation which provides family accommodation, outreach support and boarding assistance to local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in need.
EveryMan spokesperson Erin Leonard said the service currently had 13 families in accommodation and eight being assisted by outreach services. The families would otherwise be living on the streets or in cars or in overcrowded houses.
"This is amazing," she said, of the donations.
Catherine Law, education officer at CIT Yurauna, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students on campus, used to work at EveryMan. She knew the "heartache" many families suffered at Christmas and was glad to put it forward as worthy recipients of the giving tree.
Ms Law said not having secure housing obviously had a big impact on children.
"It's super-hard. You could imagine not having your own home to live in. You don't know where you're going to be next," she said.
CIT Yurauna director Caroline Hughes said the staff donated everything from toys for babies to scooters and gift cards for teenagers. She praised "the generosity of spirit of all CIT staff".
