THUNDER BAY - The need for Christmas Cheer hampers in Thunder Bay has gone up from last year, but luckily, so has the generosity of the community.
Volunteers with the Christmas Cheer Fund were handing out holiday hampers again on Wednesday at the CLE Coliseum to north side families. Hampers included a toy for children, a turkey, and a week’s worth of non-perishable food and fresh produce.
According to Jolene Kemp, chairperson of Thunder Bay Christmas Cheer, a little more than 3,600 children received a toy this year and their families a holiday hamper.
“Unfortunately, the need has gone up instead of gone down,” Kemp said. “Last year we dealt with 3,400 children, so we are up over 200 children and I’m not sure how many families that translates to. At the end of the day we will be down to next to nothing in our food items, and we are putting a week’s worth of groceries in, so that is a big need.”
Luckily, the demand has been met by an outpouring of support from the community, who raised between 35 and 40 per cent more non-perishable food items this year compared to last year. Kemp believes the increase was due to the success of the stuff-a-bus campaign and the giving spirit of the city’s younger population.
“Our children were setting an example and raising the bar because it was really the school children who brought in the majority of the food,” Kemp said. “They are really saying to the rest of the community that we understand and we get it because we know the people sitting beside us who might be in need, or maybe I’m someone in need.”
“The school children get it because they know what happens when you have healthy foods and when you come to school not hungry, you learn and you’re a much happier individual,” Kemp continued. “So the children get it, but some adults don’t get that if you just helped a little bit, if everyone gave a little bit, we could really make a difference.”
Kemp is hopeful the people of Thunder Bay will be able to assist the Christmas Cheer Fund with reaching its financial fundraising goal of $128,000.
“We are at the 50 per cent mark but we disappear from front and centre tonight at 7,” Kemp said. “People still continue to donate and we are optimistic that we will make our target, but it just becomes a little more challenging.”
There has already been a lot of support from the community and Kemp said every donation helps them get closer to their goal.
“We had a really wonderful anonymous couple who made a very substantial donation to us that really touched our hearts,” she said. “It’s a large sum of money so that really has helped us and there are others that hopefully will come forward and do the same thing.”
Kemp said all the money raised is used to cover the costs of providing fresh produce and turkeys and all money goes back to the families in need because all the work is done through volunteers.
During the last week, there were more than 800 volunteers working to sort and organize all the donations, including between 300 and 400 volunteers helping on Tuesday and Wednesday hand out the holiday hampers.
“People come in smiling and they leave smiling,” Kemp said of the many volunteers. “They feel like they’ve done something. You can’t change the world but you can do one kind act and if you feel good, you will remember that, and maybe you will do another kind act and another.”
For those who picked up their holiday hampers this week, the kind acts will not be forgotten, because they were given more than just a hamper of food and a toy.
“We’ve had lots of people crying yesterday and even this morning because they are so grateful that they can have Christmas for their children,” Kemp said.
Donations are accepted until 7 p.m. tonight at the CLE Coliseum, as well as online and at any Scotiabank branch.
