Te Puke Paper Plus Donates 116 Books for Christmas Parcels to Needy Families

More than 100 books were donated by Te Puke Paper Plus customers last week to support The Hub's Christmas parcel distribution program. The initiative saw 116 books plus other toys and games purchased by customers who received a 25 percent discount on their purchases. Owner Stuart Gunn described it as a successful first run and a vehicle for community giving.

The books and toys will be added to Christmas parcels being distributed to needy families by The Hub ahead of Christmas. Gunn expressed amazement at how well the initiative went and announced it will be repeated in 2026, expecting it to grow significantly. "I believe it will go a lot bigger next year because this was just the Trojan horse—just showing people what we do," he said.

The Hub social worker Georgie Pitman noted this is the ninth year of sending out pre-Christmas parcels. Additional donations came from Ministry for Social Development staff and residents at Bupa Te Puke. Pitman praised the community's generosity, saying she is always amazed by the willingness of local people to contribute gifts and support families in need.

Originally published in Te Puke News by Sun Media.