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December 07, 2008 12:00am
A dedicated band of volunteers is setting up a Christmas workshop Santa and his elves would be proud of.
THEY may not always wear red robes or have flowing, grey beards but a dedicated band of volunteers is setting up a Christmas workshop Santa and his elves would be proud of.
For 11 months of the year, the Salvation Army uses its large hall in Moonah as a community meeting place.
But in December, the hall is transformed by 20 volunteers and a full-time co-ordinator into a huge distribution centre for goods collected in the state's Christmas appeals, including the Motorcycle Riders Association's Toy Run.
Salvation Army divisional public relations officer Stuart Foster said more than 9000 children's gifts, 700 gifts for adults and tonnes of food would arrive at the centre for processing.
"It is a huge logistical exercise," he said.
"I don't think people realise how big the task is and how much work it takes to collect and distribute donations gathered through the state's Christmas appeals."
In addition to the volunteers at the centre, up to a dozen others worked as drivers to pick up donations.
"Budget (car hire) gives us a van for December and it operates to a daily running sheet," Mr Foster said.
"We also have other vans and trucks in operation and staff and volunteers in the North and North-West."
At the annual MRA Toy Run, held in Hobart yesterday, the Salvos filled two 2-tonne trucks as well as two vans.
"The amount of donations are so large, we are never able to count each gift as it arrives at the distribution centre," he said.
"All cash donations are audited."
After gifts arrive at the distribution centre, they are unwrapped, sorted into age and sex categories and then laid out as if in a retail store.
"Towards, the end of December, the centre opens for a week so clients registered for assistance can come in and select one main gift and one small gift for each child," he said.
Mr Foster said other agencies also brought clients to the centre.
"While we assume responsibility for the distribution of the MRA Toy Run, the Kmart Wishing Tree and some of the proceeds from the ABC Giving Tree, the donations are split with other services who then distribute them," Mr Foster said.
In addition to collecting and distributing Christmas donations, Salvation Army staff also register clients seeking assistance.
Most charities in Tasmania have a one-agency policy, meaning clients register with just one agency for assistance.
Mr Foster said people needing assistance from the state's Christmas appeals were found in a variety of ways.
Some register with agencies, some are referred by other organisations or schools and some are identified by case workers, he said.
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