THUNDER BAY – It takes a small army to make the annual Christmas Cheer campaign a reality. Organizers estimate around 1,300 volunteers – from small children to one 104-year-old woman – will have lent a hand by the time they finish giving out boxes Wednesday evening.
Over Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, their efforts will put Christmas hampers in the hands of upwards of 8,000 people in Thunder Bay. Each hamper is assembled with care by volunteers at the CLE Coliseum, based on the number and ages of family members. Inside is a week’s worth of groceries, including a Christmas turkey, along with gifts and activities for children. Items like baby food and diapers are also available.
Christmas Cheer chairperson Joleene Kemp says while the season can be full of joy, it’s often stressful for those living on a limited income. The campaign can help ease some of that worry.
“For several of them that come in, this is the difference between having a Christmas dinner or not,” she says. “It means they don’t have to choose which meals they’ll eat over the break, or [whether to] get a prescription [instead of] food.”
The bulk of the non-perishable items are contributed by schools through food drives, while a number of local organizations support the campaign. Still, Kemp says, they rely largely on donations from community members. Those were slow to come in this year, and while the campaign managed to purchase enough to meet needs, she is hoping the community will continue donating to help cover some unmet costs.
Beatrice Semenuk has been showing up to volunteer with the campaign for over a decade. She says the experience helps put the everyday stresses of the season into perspective, and remind her what Christmas is really about.
“I think it makes such a difference, not only for the adults, but now they’re able to give their children something for Christmas,” she says. “I think that’s so important, because when they’re little, they don’t understand why Santa hasn’t brought them something.”
