The Redland Community Centre’s campaign to put smiles on the faces of families less fortunate this Christmas has been given a boost by a generous group of Redland City Council employees.

Every payday from October, members of Council’s customer service team have dug deep to buy treats for the community centre’s Christmas Project 2017.

It is a cause that customer service team members have supported for the past 12 years in the hope they can broaden the smiles of local families at Christmas.

This year the team donated 15 baskets of Christmas goodies, as well as collecting another five baskets from Council’s libraries and art gallery teams – their biggest donation yet.

Integrated Customer Contact Centre service manager Kym Banks said the customer service crew relished the opportunity to help the Redlands community.

“Organiser Jacqui Murphy and her colleagues are thrilled that they can help the Redland Community Centre help others to experience the happiness and sharing of Christmas,’’ Kym said.

“The centre offers so much hope to so many families doing it tough and it makes us happy to know we have, in a small way, helped to put a smile on their children’s face.

“We want them to know that there are others in the community who really do care.”

Last year the centre put smiles on the faces of more than 650 children and helped 277 families enjoy a brighter Christmas because of community generosity, community giving and community caring.

Redland Community Centre’s Allison Wicks said it was hoped the Christmas Project 2017 would support more than 300 families and 900 children.

“We are so thankful for the ongoing support of people such as Council’s customer service team – it really does make a difference,’’ she said.

Members of Redland City Council’s customer service team hand over the Christmas baskets they collected to the Redland Community Centre