ALBERTON – It is surely my favourite time of the year and the period I spend most of my time remembering others and thinking what my community has meant to me over the past year.
I would like to thank every member of this community for their support this year – it is a privilege to serve you. I also take time to remember some fond memories form my childhood growing up in Alberton.
My parents made such a big effort during our childhood to keep the magic of Christmas alive for my brother and I. We were firm believers in Santa Clause for many of our childhood years. I will always be thankful to my parents for their special gift of making Christmas such a magical time for us.
Today I aim to give back as much as possible to the community that has given me so much. As Christians we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and during Christmas I like to spread the message of peace, joy and hope to all the members of our community.
Unfortunately for some of our residents, Christmas is not such a magical time as they don’t have the same Christmas cheer, or they can’t spend time with family and friends due to circumstances beyond their control. I would like to think of those less fortunate than us and collectively do something for the homeless, the hungry and the poor. Let’s bridge the gap in our community this Christmas and do something for those in need in our community.
I encourage everyone to just take a few minutes to identify a need in our community and bring some Christmas magic and cheer to someone in need. Even a small gesture of kindness can make a big difference in someone else’s life this Christmas.
If you only manage to do one thing, please donate a toy or a gift for a child in need. My Christmas wish for our community is that the miracle of Christmas will fill everyone with love and compassion. Christmas is a time for giving and sharing but also loving and forgiveness. May the love of our Lord and saviour heal us and restore us, and may the new year bring an abundance of joy, peace and happiness.
Let’s do more to build a better Alberton and bridge the gap in 2016.
