THUNDER BAY — The Christmas giving season is geared around families with children.
Santa Claus delivers presents to boys and girls around the world, and those he misses are helped through charitable efforts like Toys for Tots and Christmas Cheer.
In Thunder Bay, that leaves many on the outside looking in, including seniors, single people and couples without children.
Several years ago, the Regional Food Distribution Association started a Christmas Be the Reason for the Season hamper program aimed specifically at Thunder Bay residents in those three demographics. Last year alone, the RFDA program handed out 1,400 hampers, filled with grocery necessities and a holiday ham to get recipients through the holiday season.
“We’ve been doing this for several years,” said June Gaw, president of the RFDA’s board of directors, launching this year’s program on Tuesday morning.
“We decided we had to capture the clients in our community who are not covered by Christmas Cheer. To receive a hamper from Christmas Cheer one needed to have children, but there are many in our community who are really struggling to put food on their table every day, let alone at Christmastime.”
With the rising cost of groceries and gas, Gaw said the amount of food they need to collect to give out next month continues to grow.
“We expect our numbers to grow this year with the high cost of food and just what’s happening in our society and in our community,” she said.
Hampers will be assigned through the Lakehead Social Planning Council’s 211 system, with potential recipients given a date and location for pickup. Delivery service is also available for those who can’t get out.
Gaw said in addition to the ham, there are plenty of basic grocery needs included in each hamper.
“We’ve got mashed potato or scalloped potato boxes, pancake mix, pancake syrup, pasta and pasta sauce, rice, soup, canned vegetables and canned fruit. There also will be fresh potatoes, fresh carrots and fresh apples or oranges,” she said.
“This year there will be homemade cookies made by school children. We’ve been bringing Grade 8 culinary students here to make cookies … as well as a homemade Christmas card greeting that’s going to be included, that’s been made by school children.”
Anyone wishing to donate money to the program can do so online at www.foodbanksnorthwest.ca, or phone the RFDA for information on donating food.
Program organizers will also be at the County Fair No Frills location on Saturday taking food donations of specific items.
Hampers will be handed out from Dec. 7-9.
