A Werribee business is spreading Christmas cheer for Wyndham families doing it tough.
The Park Hotel owner Nick Christou and his wife Connie have joined forces with the Smith Family and will put on a special lunch for 50 families of grade 6 Manor Lakes College students next month. The selected families each receive education scholarships from the Smith Family.
Mr Christou said staff and suppliers were donating their time and resources for the lunch, which will also include a petting zoo, photo booth and other entertainment and surprises.
The idea was the brainchild of The Park Hotel’s head of marketing and development, Alex Alvarenga, who received financial assistance through the Smith Family and is now doing a PhD in taxation law.
“The Smith Family endorsed me to be able to buy textbooks, go on excursions, all that kind of stuff, and offered [emotional] support as well. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here,” Mr Alvarenga said.
Mr Christou said he and Connie wanted to give back to the community, and felt the Smith Family was a perfect fit.
“Here’s someone who’s come through the system who has had the support and has really taken it by the horns and made magic happen.”
Mrs Christou added: “It was about knowing that, if we’re going to give back to the kids and families, that it’s going straight to them.”
Smith Family western metropolitan team leader Fiona Stuart said it was great to see the community helping out their own.
“We have over 600 scholarships in Wyndham … these kids are going to grow up and be contributing to this community, so we want to see them go through school and hopefully on to further education.”
