|
Supporting those in the community who could use a helping hand this Christmas was the major focus of the guest speakers at the Crowsnest Pass Chamber of Commerce’s November luncheon, which took place on Wednesday, November 9th at the Blairmore Lions Pride Hall, catered by Ben Wong’s Restaurant.
Carmellia Saretzky of the Crowsnest Food Bank informed Chamber members that the food bank will be operating out of its new location, 11910 19th Avenue across from the Forestry Office in Blairmore, as of December 1st, and that a grand opening will be held in January, as food bank staff and volunteers will experience their busiest time of year during next month.
Saretzky said during December, the food bank will be hard at work assembling and distributing Christmas Hampers to more than 100 families in need, in addition to the monthly food hampers it already provides to 340 families throughout the community.
She said the food bank also supports the community year round by providing snacks to children at the Boys and Girls Club, supplying the Crowsnest Pass Health Centre with diapers, formula and other baby items for the infants in its care, and through the backpack program, which supplies backpacks full of school supplies to elementary and high school students.
Saretzky said the food bank will be running a “Decorate and Donate” food drive in local schools this holiday season, where students can decorate donation boxes and try to fill them with items needed by the food bank.
Following Saretzky’s presentation, Mike Davidson made a presentation on his son Shael’s holiday charity, Shael’s Socks from Santa.
From now until Christmas, donations of new, unused children’s socks (as well as other children’s clothing and basic needs items such as toothbrushes) can be dropped off at donation boxes at several businesses and locations throughout the community, including The Bargain Shop, Copy Magic, Kids Kollege, Brighter Futures, the Pass Herald, Rexall, the Blairmore Post Office, and CJPR Mountain Radio.
Davidson said his son started the charity drive in October, and the response has already been incredible, with boxes at The Bargain Shop, Copy Magic and Kids Kollege filling up. |
|
“People recognize what he’s trying to do, and they’ve really stepped up to the plate,” said Davidson.
“This has turned into a community effort, and I just couldn’t be more excited about it.”
Shael will be presenting all of the socks to Santa when the Christmas Train rolls into town on December 11th at 1 p.m. in East Coleman.
One pair of socks will then be distributed to each child whose family receives a Christmas hamper from the food bank, and hampers will be distributed on December 22nd.
Next, Desiree Simoneau of the Women’s Resource and Crisis Centre spoke to members about the centre’s annual toy hamper program.
Donation boxes and lists of suggested items to donate to the program will be distributed to local businesses, and people can purchase toys, including educational toys and books, for children in the community to receive this Christmas.
“We make up baskets for children so that no child has to go without Christmas in our community,” said Simoneau.
Last year, the Women’s Resource and Crisis Centre distributed 110 toy hampers, and expects to distribute close to 130 this year.
For further information, or to apply for a hamper, contact the Women’s Resource and Crisis Centre, located on the second floor of the Provincial Building in Blairmore at 403-562-8000, or visit cnpresources.com.
For more information on the Crowsnest Pass Food Bank, call 403-564-5110.
|
 |
|
|
