THE annual Share your Christmas with a Seafarer project, which has been in operation for about 30 years, will ensure again this year that seafarers far from home will still enjoy a few spoils over Christmas. . To ensure that they are not forgotten over the festive season, the Missions join forces and collect items which are wrapped and distributed to seafarers.
From donations which emanate from churches, individuals and various organisations, mugs are purchased. Missions also have their loyal supporters who knit beanies, scarves and fingerless gloves during the year. Other items are toiletries and greeting notes written by children and placed in each package.
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The venue for the packing is the Durban Seafarers’ Centre in Bayhead and this year a record number of 1 400 parcels were packed and wrapped by two ‘assembly lines’ of willing volunteers in record time.
Gifts will be distributed by chaplains and helpers to vessels in port on Friday, 8 December and at outer anchorage on 23 December. The Transnet National Ports Authority kindly supplies a fire engine to take ‘Father Christmas’ to the ships in port and for distribution at outer anchorage, a pilot boat is used.
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