Society still in need of donations for those in need

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

With applicants on the rise and an influx of volunteers on standby, the Strathmore & Wheatland County Christmas Hamper Society continues to feel the pressure of a fast-approaching deadline as shelves remain bare and donations in short supply.
With over 200 applicants already eligible for hampers, the organization feels optimistic that donations from Strathmore schools – donations that are collected this week – will address some of the issues.
“Yes we are being affected,” said Gwen Moggey, chairperson of the Strathmore & Wheatland County Christmas Hamper Society.
“People are very generous at this time of year, but of course everyone wants some money right now too. The schools might make a real difference. People give what they can and every little bit is appreciated.”
The Strathmore High School (SHS) already dropped off seven bags on Dec. 11, which Moggey said helped fill up some of the shelves. However, just as the food division of the society is experiencing a decrease in food items, in comparison to last year, the toy division is also facing a decline.
Where last year resulted in 302 hampers handed out to children, as of Monday, 270 were already approved for 2015, with society members expecting that number to climb even higher over the next few days. While toys appropriate for children aged three to six are always abundant, the organization has also seen many donations, such as gift cards, geared towards teenagers dropped off this year. Nonetheless, not enough donations have been acquired to fill all the bags equally – hampers that usually focus on the child’s age and may include pyjamas, personal items, books, a stuffed animal with a total value of up to $80.
“We are hurting as well, and we don’t have enough toys,” said Marianne Pinchbeck, coordinator for the toy hamper division of the Strathmore and Wheatland County Christmas Hamper Society.
“I don’t think we have as much and we’re already at just about as many kids as we’ve had in other years. I’ll have to go shopping. Some people donated cash, so I will try to find some good buys.”
The Strathmore & Christmas Hamper Society was able to cut some costs this year through creative initiatives, such as a social media campaign to collect Halloween candy that attracted the attention from as far away as Drumheller. Through such efforts, the society managed to save financially on chocolates and treats this season and focus money on food items and toys.
The organization became a charitable society in 1985, and has expanded noticeably since then. The program relies heavily on volunteers and on numerous Strathmore-based businesses, churches, schools, and individuals. For the first time, the society also agreed to allow community members to anonymously sponsor a family, by providing specific information on ages and sizes of the children, without providing personal information.
“Businesses that are locally-owned and run, go out of their way to support these programs,” Pinchbeck said. “This year, we tried something a little bit different. People that are buying for families, they don’t know if they have one family or three families. We will earmark them and make sure they’re equal to bags we’re sending out to other kids.”
All donations and requests for hampers must be received by Dec. 17. Distributions are being made on Dec. 21 and 22.