Sleeping bags, jumpers, blankets and coats were among the many items Ray White Mt Gambier has donated to ac.care for The SE Voice winter warmth community campaign.

Ray White Mt Gambier principal Tahlia Gabrielli said all 11 Ray White staff donated items to ac.care and they also donated a large Coles voucher.

“We thought it was a good idea that everyone in the office could contribute what they could,” Ms Gabrielli said.

“It is really important for us as our own community to have an understanding of what else goes on in the wider community as well.

“Hopefully they have received a bit of a mixed variety and it goes to good use, which I am sure it will.”

Ms Gabrielli said it was important for Ray White Mt Gambier to support The SE Voice winter warmth campaign because it was “a big eye-opener” and it was becoming increasingly apparent there were more and more people struggling within the community.

“We obviously see it very first-hand with the housing and rental side of things, we see how many people struggle and miss out on rentals and the cost of rents as well,” she said.

“We also know the cost of everything is going up and it is challenging for people to afford the very basics.

“We all take what we have for granted so it is nice to know that we can give back and help someone else out that little bit more.”

Ray White Mt Gambier campaign manager Macey Humphries helped arrange and organise the donation and said it was important to the business to help out wherever it could.

“We do see it first-hand, people who have missed out on houses and cannot afford rents/utilities etc,” Ms Humphries said.

“We are all seeing more and more people around that are homeless as well, so if we can help out in any way we definitely will.”