Members of the Knights of Columbus received a cheque for $7,812 from Tim Hortons in Campbell River in aid of the forty-seventh annual Christmas Hamper Fund recently.
And thus kicked off the annual toy and food drive that brings joy to needy families in the region at Christmas time.
“The Hamper Fund would like to express their thanks and gratitude to Dave and Cathy Paquin (franchise owners) for their continued support, Tim Hortons management and their staffs (3 locations) for the generous donation,” a Knights of Columbus statement says. “Thanks too are in order to the members of the Campbell River community who purchased the Smile Cookies.”
This year the Hamper Fund will accept donations of money, new toys, gifts and non-perishable food items at its new depot located in the Tyee Plaza in the former True Blue Pet store at 1135 Shoppers Row. The office is open starting Nov. 16, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and in December from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
There are some important changes to the 2020 hamper fund drive. These changes are in response to the present COVID-19 situation and the safety protocols that everybody has been advised to follow in order to be safe.
The first change is where the application form for a hamper may be picked up. The Hamper Fund Office in the Tyee Plaza, in the former True Blue Pet store, and the Campbell River Food Bank are the two locations. The Hamper Fund Office is open during the hours given above while the Food Bank is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday. All completed applications must be returned to the hamper office in the Tyee Plaza and placed in the box provided in order for them to be processed.
The second change is that in addition to being able to donate to the hamper fund at the donation office, a second option is to donate online. During this pandemic, some members of our community might be hesitant to leave their residence any more than is necessary. For others, Hamper Fund office hours or the location are not convenient for them to donate. In either case, a donation may be made to the hamper fund by visiting http://www.stpatscr.org/hamper_fund.
Hamper delivery day will be on Saturday, Dec. 19.
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