The 54th annual Christmas Hamper campaign is in some dire straits, say the St. Albert Kinettes.
"We are significantly down in donations, both cash, gift cards, and food and toys," stated Tracy Nadiger, the club’s the service director and PR director, in an email to the Gazette.
She offered the example of last weekend's Fill-a-Bus event, which was reduced to only operating out of the Kinsman Banquet Centre on Riel Drive instead of having several stations around the city. This resulted in a dramatically reduced take for the one-day event.
"We received about 10 per cent of what we normally would. Now, we have promoting cash and gift cards but those are down substantially as well."
On top of all that is the rise in the number of families who are hoping to be hamper recipients this year. The campaign's goal is usually to collect enough to support 200 to 250 families to get through the holiday season when people's finances are often the tightest. The service club asks the public to donate non-perishable food and toys for all ages, but this year they are hoping to get more gift cards to help make the collection more manageable and more in line with public health restrictions.
The Kinettes also have an Adopt a Family program for this campaign. The suggested donation is $100 per family member.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no donations can be accepted at Fire Hall #3 as has been done in past years. Please instead call the Kinettes at 587-355-2137 to make arrangements. E-transfers can be made to [email protected] (please state if you need a tax receipt) or you can also mail your donation to The Kinette Club of St. Albert Christmas Hamper Program, PO Box 65064 Mission Hill Plaza, St. Albert, Alberta, T8N 5Y4.
They have a three-phase plan for delivery that should be able to address whatever provincially mandated health restrictions are in place this coming weekend. Deliveries are meant to start on Dec. 13. Anyone who is interested in volunteering for the effort should send an email to [email protected].
Visit stalbertkin.ca/kinette-club for more information on the group and its hamper campaign.
Santa's schedule shifts
Santa Claus managed to get one early visit in but has now canceled the next two due to the second wave of the pandemic. The jolly old elf was set to come back to the St. Albert Trail pedestrian bridge on both Dec. 17 and 24 as a way of bringing good cheer and also hoping to take collections for Edmonton's Hope Mission. The public's good health was too important, he told the Gazette in an email, but he still hopes that people give their support to the not-for-profit Christian social care agency that serves impoverished and homeless men, women and children.
"Right now, more than any other time in recent memory, our most vulnerable neighbours are at risk," states Hope's Christmas campaign page on its website, indicating that even $2.70 is enough to provide one person with a hot meal this festive season. Along with food and critical care, it also offers programs for addiction recovery and spiritual care, shelter and housing, and kids and youth outreach.
More information – including ways to make donations – can be found on its website at hopemission.com.
And you'd better not pout or cry, Santa pledges to return again next year.
The charm’s the thing for cheer and charity
Buy a tree ornament, help a local not-for-profit at the same time. That's the charitable tie-in that goes with Pandornaments for its 2020 collection. For every Unconditional Love Ornament that is purchased, $10 will go to the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS).
SCARS promotes the humane care of all animals to prevent cruelty and suffering by taking in as many homeless pets as its resources allow. Each one is spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and receives whatever care it needs. They stay in care until they can find permanent, loving homes. It succeeds in placing more than 1,200 every year and has nearly reached 13,000 adoptions have been adopted in total.
It was recently forced to stop its animal intake due to the overwhelming number of animals needing help. With the support of some amazing partners, SCARS was able to reopen intakes and continue its mission. That mission is close to the heart of a local entrepreneur.
"We have a connection with SCARS because we adopted one of our dogs from them many years ago," explained Gwynne Turner, the director of the Corro Collective boutique and St. Albert Coworking.
Pandornaments sprang forth from the Turner family's longstanding tradition of creating ornaments that commemorate significant family events.
"When (my kids) caught their first fish, I would buy them an ornament like Santa holding a fish. Volleyball championships would get them a volleyball and we would personalize them. Then the tree got kind of full, I guess," she continued. "About seven years ago, I started making an ornament that we could add to every year with different charms that represented the year."
As you might have guessed, there is a 2020 ornament with a little decorative facemask on it. Check out the collection at pandornaments.ca.
There are also charms available for purchase that offer their proceeds to the St. Albert Food Bank. All can be purchased at Corro Collective, 28 Muir Dr. Call 780-569-0227 or visit corro.ca for more information.
SCARS is hosting an online general volunteer and foster home orientation on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. For more information about the organization or its other current fundraisers and events and how to get involved, visit scarscare.ca.
The Shoebox Project's virtual answer to COVID
In a normal year, Allstate Canada locations would support the Shoebox Project for Women by collecting and distributing shoeboxes filled with gifts and essential items. These would then be distributed to women impacted by homelessness across Canada.
This year, the program has gone virtual and Allstate is requesting online donations and virtual greeting cards with messages of support. With the funds, the Shoebox Project will buy gift cards to help women in need. In Edmonton, these gifts go to dozens of local organizations. A full list can be found at shoeboxproject.com/edmonton.html. You can find further details on the Shoebox Project and ways to help at that site as well.
