Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads
A co-ordinator of the region’s Christmas Hamper Program says the food security drive has received steady support since people began donating food and money.
The Kindersley branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) operates the Christmas Hamper Program and the initiative is in its 55th year. Donations have been accepted since Dec. 1. The program has received good support so far while applications are being submitted.
“The donations have been coming in steady, and so have the applications,” said program co-ordinator Pam Welter, manager for the CMHA branch, who encouraged people to continue donating because there is a strong need for food security.
She estimated that there could be a need for up to 150 hampers, so more donations will be needed to meet the demand. The drop-off location for donations is in the Kindersley Mall, and the location is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays depending on the availability of volunteers.
There’s less than a week left before recipients pick up their hampers at the mall but there is still time to donate.
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Donations of food items and money will be accepted until Dec. 20, and the hampers will be handed out on Dec. 21. The deadline for applications is Dec. 18, and they are available at the drop-off location in the mall, Salvation Army thrift store, West Central Crisis and Family Support Centre and Spokes – the Kindersley Family Resource Centre.
Contact Welter at 306-463-8052 if you have a larger food donation and want to make sure someone is at the drop-off location, or to get more information about donations or applications. People in smaller communities are encouraged to call her if they need a hamper.
The Christmas Hamper Program applies to anyone living in the former boundaries of the Heartland Health Region. The CMHA program provides varying levels of support in communities due to other food security programs across the region.
Welter said the program might only provide the Christmas part of the hamper in certain communities, but the program provides a full food security package in addition to those Christmas items in the Kindersley area. The CMHA works with food banks and other groups to avoid a duplication of efforts, she noted.
The co-ordinator said food that is past its best-before date will not be packed into hampers, so people are asked to check for the dates before they donate food.
People are also reminded to make any cheques out to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Tax receipts are available for donations of $50 or more. The Salvation Army supplies the turkeys for the hamper program, and the West Central Crisis and Family Support Centre supplies toys for children whose families receive a Christmas hamper. In terms of food, certain items are needed more than others.
The program has received a lot of soup, instant noodles, and macaroni and cheese, so co-ordinators need fewer of those items in the coming days. Welter said the program is quite low on pasta sauce as is often the case.
Items that were in low supply include peanut butter, jam, cheese spread, juice, pasta and sauce, pancake mix and syrup, coffee, tea, dressings, condiments, baking supplies such as cake mixes, flour and sugar, and cereals for children. Welter said corn flakes and oatmeal are abundant, but there is a need for kids cereal.
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