The Knights of Columbus still need Campbell Riverites’ help to get those Christmas hampers out to people in need.
Donations of food, money and toys are still needed for the annual Community Christmas Hamper Fund, and the hamper fund committee’s Kevin Geary said this year has been “slow.”
“We end up having to buy about 80 per cent (to) 70 per cent of our stuff and the rest of it we hope to get in donations. It’s been slow,” said Geary, adding that donations have picked up a little bit lately and he’s hoping to see some more donations come in. “We’ve still got a couple of days left.”
Donations are welcomed until Friday afternoon when the hampers start to get packed up. The depot for drop-offs is located in the Tyee Plaza at 1325 Shoppers Row, right next to the building occupied by the former SuperValu Store.
Geary said volunteer ‘shoppers’ and drivers are needed this weekend. ‘Shoppers’ pack up the hampers and can help out starting at 4 p.m. on Friday and again on Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. Volunteer drivers start at 8 a.m. Saturday as well.
“Whether they’re in pick-up trucks or people with vans or whatever, cars,” said Geary. “We just need people to move the hampers, that’s what it comes down to.”
Geary said people can volunteer for as much time as they would like, but the deliveries will go until they are done on Saturday, whatever time that is.
One thousand, one hundred and forty-seven applications have been filled out this year.
Some people who signed up late were put on a waiting list, and if enough supplies are left over after the hampers go out on Saturday, they will receive one on Tuesday.
While Geary said people who use the food bank also tend to sign up for hampers, others in the community sign up for hampers too.
“A lot of people that don’t use the food bank, like families that are just getting by cheque to cheque, they have a food hamper at christmas,” explained Geary. “It helps them through, you know the kids get a toy, they get a turkey or a ham depending on the size of the family plus all the fixings and everything.”