Strong backs and big hearts were two things not in short supply recently as local hockey players dropped in to help a long-standing Christmas community institution move into its new digs.
Sandra Carmen is president of Powell River and District Christmas Cheer Committee and she helped direct the almost dozen Powell River Kings players pack up pallets of food for Christmas hampers and move them.
In previous years, Christmas Cheer had used donated space in Powell River Town Centre Mall, but this year it was already being used and with wires hanging down from the ceiling, the space was less than suitable, she said. “They didn’t feel it was safe for us, so we had to move.”
The committee was able to find donated space at Crossroads Village Shopping Centre in the old Fields location, said Carmen. “It’s smaller, but nicer.”
Marilyn Lewis, mother of Kings’ coach and general manager Kent Lewis, is organizing a toy collection for Christmas Cheer, as she did last year, and she said her son was happy to have his hockey players help out.
The committee collects and distributes new toys as Christmas presents. Toys can be purchased and donated directly through Walmart and LW, formerly Liquidation World.
“We rely heavily on donations,” said Marilyn. “We had about 310 kids last year and probably more this year.”
Nadine Porchetta is community relations coordinator for the Kings. “So many people come out to the games to support us that we feel it’s our turn to give back,” she said. “We try to be involved with as many community events as possible and it’s good for the guys.”
The hampers go to families, couples or single adults who are living on social services or disability and need a helping hand to make ends meet. Christmas Cheer plans on handing out 280 hampers this year, said Carmen. The hampers contain food for the families and toys for the children, all either purchased by the committee or received by donation.
Throughout the year, the committee makes bulk purchases of staple non-perishable food items for the hampers, spending close to $20,000, taking advantage of sales when possible. The rest of the food in the hampers comes from food drives.
There are different sized hampers depending on the size of the family they go to, but all contain basic food items such as milk, peanut butter, canned fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice, coffee, tea, cake mix and many other items.
Carmen said the public can help in a few different ways. Donations by cheque can be sent directly to the committee to help purchase the basics. The committee also collects food from workplace, school and church food drives. “There’s a lot of different people bringing in food for us,” she said.
She estimates the committee should have enough money and food to cover this year, but she is encouraging people to donate money to help them meet next year’s demand.
Families and workplaces can choose a more personal approach to Christmas helping by participating in the Adopt-A-Family Program.
“They just contact us to take them as a sponsor,” she said. “We match them up with a family and give them a basic list of what they should be providing in the hamper and then they take it from there.”
Businesses, organizations and individuals interested in participating have until the end of November to contact Carmen 604.485.2142 or Lesley Ford 604.485.6682. Toy donations can be arranged with Marilyn at 604.485.2621.
Applications to receive hampers are available at Black Point Store, Lang Bay Store, the mall office, Powell River Community Resource Centre and Salvation Army. Deadline for applications is Saturday, December 7.
