The magic of Christmas

The volunteers for the Whitecourt Christmas Hamper were very busy last Friday, spending about six hours wrapping gifts to meet their December 14 delivery and pick-up date. The Family Worship Centre turned into a well-oiled assembly line as countless volunteers worked diligently to ensure each registered family had the appropriate gift and clothing items specific to them. For many of the volunteers, it was an emotional day as they viewed mounds of gifts and stuffed animals that were donated by the community.

One of the main goals for the Christmas Hamper this year was to give a stuffed animal to every child. This year was one of the first times in many years that the Hamper fulfilled the goal of receiving 272 stuffed animals. Not only were there donations but the Wolverines hosted a Teddy Bear Toss at one of their games, The Brick provided Brick Bears, and Smitty’s Restaurant hosted its Teddy Bear Breakfast.

The Whitecourt Christmas Hamper has been helping local families for the past 47 years fulfilling the needs of those less fortunate thanks to the generosity of residents in the Whitecourt and Woodlands areas.

The Christmas Hamper is supporting 126 families with 272 children and over 100 single adults this season. When you compare those numbers to the 2018 Statistics Canada census of just over 10,200 people, the percentage of those needing additional assistance is quite high.

Koren Scott, a committee member with the Whitecourt Christmas Hamper, said, “It takes a village to make this happen and bring it all together. Our committee only co-ordinates the community’s generosity and kindness. The committee is truly just a vehicle to gather everything and put it out to the families that need it most. It’s the community that keeps the Whitecourt Christmas Hamper viable and running for the past 47 years.”

There are 10 Hamper committee members and countless numbers of volunteers including representatives from schools, various community groups, local businesses, and those who took time off work to offer a helping hand. “It’s just so incredible, and without their support, the Christmas Hamper would not exist. To those families who are doing everything they can to take care of their children, they all need to be commended for stepping forward, asking for help, and accepting it as that can be a big struggle itself. I want to say thank you to them and thank you to the community,” said Scott with tears in her eyes.