Coca-Cola Australia and The Salvation Army will light up Melbourne’s biggest billboard this festive season with notes of kindness that will help provide a meal to someone in need this Christmas.
The Emporium Billboard will be lit with personal notes of kindness from 9 December to 15 December, with each one adding another $10 to its $50,000 donation to The Salvation Army’s Christmas appeal.
The partnership between The Salvation Army and Coca-Cola, which was launched in 2017, has helped provide meals and services to help struggling Aussie families and members of the community during Christmas.
This year, thousands of messages from across the nation will contribute towards Coca-Cola’s goal of $100,000 or the equivalent of 10,000 meals, showing how small acts of kindness can have a huge impact.
“Coca-Cola and meals has always been a perfect partnership,” Kate Miller, marketing director at Coca‑Cola Australia, said. “We’re so proud to once again be working with The Salvos to bring this to life in such a meaningful way.
“Partnerships like this enable us to give back and together, with the help of Australians, we can hit our goal of giving 10,000 meals to families and communities in need this Christmas.”
The Salvation Army expects an increase in people seeking and relying on help this year, with cost-of-living pressure and financial uncertainty continuing to rise.
Recent research from The Salvation Army found that almost half of Aussies (48%) are buying less presents for their kids this year, and 11.9 million Australians (56%) say they will spend less on food.
Major Gary Masters, The Salvation Army’s national communications manager, said: “Christmas is the busiest time of the year for The Salvos and we’re preparing to see more people than ever before reaching out to us for help. Whether it’s people on the brink of homelessness, people fighting to pay bills, or people who are just lonely, we want to give people the Christmas they deserve.”
As part of Coca-Cola’s 2024 partnership with The Salvation Army, it is also giving an additional $25,000 to five communities needing extra support this Christmas.
The Richmond Corps, The Well in Victoria, Lismore Corps, Liverpool Corps and Brisbane Street level Mission in Queensland, will all receive an extra special offering in the form of Community Christmas Dinners after experiencing a particularly challenging year due to homelessness, flooding and the cost-of-living crisis.
Masters added: “We’re grateful to Coca-Cola for supporting our Christmas Appeal as part of their Notes of Kindness campaign. This will have an enormous impact on communities across Australia – a delicious and hearty meal is so much better when it’s enjoyed with others – whether it be families or friends doing it tough, or individuals within the community connecting with other community members. This Christmas initiative is about coming together in a supportive and friendly environment and feeling the magic of Christmas.”
