THUNDER BAY -- The Christmas Cheer Fund is struggling to keep up with the increased demand this holiday season.
The annual campaign kicked off its first day of holiday cheer Tuesday at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition. Hundreds lined up and waited for their chance to get a hamper filled with food, toys and other items.
Organizer Linda Gambee said they expect close to 6,700 people this year – an increase of about 500 from last year.
The increase in need means it is more difficult for the campaign to meet the demand.
Instead of people getting 10 cans of soup, this year they will receive only five or six.
Gambee said this way everyone walks away with a hamper.
“I keep worrying about that food,” she said.
“I keep walking up and down the aisle to see how long we’re going to last with it. Of course the increase is flood related but there’s so many other factors. There’s so many other people that they are either laid off or they are on unemployment insurance. The growing population is the people who are actually working.
“They’re called the working poor. They don’t meet the poverty line, they just need that extra help.”
The original deadline for donations was at noon but that was pushed back until 7 p.m.
Gambee said changing the deadline was necessary because they are so short they need as much as they can get.
Around the Christmas season there’s many other charities who run their campaigns and ask residents to dig deep in their pockets. Gambee said it’s unfortunate because there’s a competition for that money.
“I never thought I would be saying that,” she said. “They’re all worthwhile charities and we’re all looking for that same dollar. We’re only here for one week. We only try to provide a really good Christmas for kids. We’re hoping people will realize that.”
She added that they break up their days by handing out hampers to residents in the city's north and south sides.
She expected the south side to be the busiest day.
Mary Loney has volunteered with the Christmas Cheer campaign for the past 25 years.
She said she’s usually tired by the end of the long day of helping those in need, but she returns every year because she has a good time with good people.
“It’s fun to work,” she said.
“We get such a variety of things. At the end of it I feel like I’ve done something good. Volunteering always makes you feel good. You meet the nicest people in Thunder Bay.”
Since she first started, Loney noticed the volume of people coming to receive hampers has increased. But she has developed friendships with some of the patrons and often she’s asked when the Christmas Cheer will start up again.
Margaret Kulyk volunteered for the first time at the Christmas Cheer this year.
A friend, who also volunteer with the Christmas Cheer, had told her about the need in the community and she decided she wanted to help.
“I wanted to make to Christmas nice,” Kulyk said.
“I heard this is a worthy cause and lots of people come out and do what they can and donate what they can. There’s a lot of happy faces when they leave. It’s absolutely amazing the number of people who come out who need food and help.”
