Our ‘People with Big Hearts’ feature this week is Kathy Crombie, a new Big Hearts Christmas Volunteer. She tells us why she signed up to be a Gift Back Hero this Christmas and gives us her thoughts on the initiative of Heart of Midlothian’s charity.
Big Hearts volunteers play a key-role in supporting those who may not get any presents to open on Christmas day. Gift Back Heroes provide small presents which are tailored to the interests of vulnerable individuals and contribute directly to their happiness over the festive season. As a new volunteer, this is Kathy’s first experience of the Gift Back Appeal, she said “I heard about this fantastic initiative after a friend shared the Big Hearts post on social media. I knew straight away I wanted to get involved. It was something that I could do easily, and I think it’s important to donate to smaller charities where you can see the difference that is made locally.”
Each year Big Hearts aim to support members of the community who are at high risk of poverty or social isolation, over the festive season. Having previously been employed by a charity who works with vulnerable people, Kathy knows the importance of providing support. “This is such a brilliant concept and I hope it continues for many years! The fact you are matched to a person, makes it feel more personal and involved. Even though I don’t know the person, I got a great deal of pleasure looking for a suitable gift.”
Being a Gift Back Hero is an extremely important role. “It makes you feel valued for your contribution in a way that donating money doesn’t. It made me appreciate that it’s the thought behind the gift, rather than the amount you spend that is important. I don’t know the person I have bought a gift for, but knowing their gender and age made me feel like I was buying a gift for a friend!”
Kathy has really enjoyed her experience of being a Big Hearts volunteer. “I would really encourage others to become Gift Back Heroes! The team at Big Hearts provided me with some interests of the person I was buying for, which gave me lots of ideas for the perfect gift. Knowing that you will put a smile on someone’s face at Christmas is an amazing feeling.”
Thank you to Kathy for sharing her thoughts on our initiative and to all our Gift Back Heroes for continuing to support us and allowing Big Hearts to Deliver Christmas!
