‘I see so many people struggling’; Why this mother’s home is full of presents
Gemma Taylor has been creating packages for those in need for the past five years. Picture: Marc Betts - Credit: Archant
A mother’s home has been transformed into her own Santa’s workshop as she creates packages to hand out to families in need this Christmas period.
Donations are often left outside Miss Taylor's home. Picture: Gemma Taylor - Credit: Archant
Gemma Taylor, of Gloucester Way, Thetford, created a charity Facebook page five years ago to collect unwanted gifts and redirect them to families in need.
Now the page has grown to include more than 3,000 members with this festive period being the busiest she has ever seen with presents filling her hallway and spare room.
The 31-year-old said: "I used to collect people's items that were unwanted and hand them out as charity.
"This Christmas has been especially busy so I decided to create Christmas care packages. Since then I have had some many more donations compared to normal parts of the year.
Donations are wrapped up and handed out to those in need. Picture: Gemma Taylor - Credit: Archant
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"A lot of the donations are really nice and some have gone out and bought new stuff to give away. I never expected it to get this big, I don't know how many care packages I have wrapped but I still have a lot more things to wrap-up."
Most of the donations come from people who are moving home and had to have a clear out. But as the group has grown the mother-of-two has seen more and more bags of gifts delivered to her door.
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Miss Taylor added: "People will message me and let me know what they have. Everything can be donated from clothes, books and toys to in-date food, just anything for the home that can help someone.
"You don't know what circumstance someone is in. I see so many people struggling and things like this are what people need to use everyday.
Gemma Taylor has been creating packages for those in need for the past five years. Picture: Marc Betts - Credit: Archant
"I'm not well off myself but it is living proof that you can still help other people no matter what situation you're in.
"Everything on there is free and goes to people who are struggling. It's crazy how I started the page in 2014 and now it has grown to so many people.
"It doesn't just help people in Thetford I have had people reach out from Brandon, Bury St Edmunds and Attleborough."
For more information or to donate search Free Items For All, Free Goodies For You on Facebook.
