It’s a community effort to make sure no one goes hungry this Christmas.
As the Carman and Community Christmas Cheer Board prepares to deliver almost 160 Christmas hampers this year, board chair Deana Gauld thanks the Carman community for making it possible.
The local cheer board typically delivers 150 hampers each Christmas. Last year, that number jumped by 16 percent to 175, and this year to 157. As daily life becomes more expensive for Canadians, more and more families are left in need around the holidays, and that’s where the Carman and Community Christmas Cheer Board steps in.
The board has moved away from typical “Tin for the Bin” donations and is now asking for monetary donations to ensure everyone gets things they’ll enjoy in their hamper. Carman Tim Hortons chose the cheer board as the recipient of this year’s Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign, donating $2,903 to the organization.
Carman Tim Hortons owner Jeff Doerksen said Holiday Smile Cookie week went very well this year. The entire team worked to decorate cookies all week long with the help of numerous volunteers. After selling the white chocolate chunk sugar cookies for $1.50 each from Nov. 18 – 24, the location raised a total of $5,806. Half of that will be donated to the Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation, while the other half will support the Carman and Community Christmas Cheer Board.
“We partnered with the local Christmas cheer boards in each of the three communities that we serve,” said Doerksen, referring also to their Morden and Winkler Tim Hortons locations. “It seems like the perfect fit for our annual Holiday Smile Cookie promotion, as they provide an important service to our local communities at this special time of year.”
Red Apple’s national campaign to Fill Santa’s Sleigh got the cheer board most of its toy donations this year, along with a percentage of those sales in-store to purchase what else it needs. The Boyne Regional Library also collected toys and books for the cheer board while acting as a drop-off spot for those leaving monetary donations. CIBC had a box to collect toy donations as well.
The Prices Rite took donations towards children’s hygiene packs and the Carman Pharmacy took donations for adult hygiene packs. Birch and Honey Salon collected feminine hygiene products, Dufferin Christian School collected Jell-O, Carman Collegiate collected cereal and mittens, Carman Elementary School collected mac and cheese, Elm Creek School collected lunch items like granola bars, and Roland School collected cereal.
The Pembina Valley Hawks U15 girls’ team held a mitten toss for the cheer board, the Carman Beavers collected food and cash, the Carman 5 Pin Bowl collected canned meats, the Richardson Pioneer donated $500, and the Sonatrice Singers Christmas concert raised $6,000 for the cause.
There were also collections in St. Claude — money raised there will go towards adding groceries to the hampers.
“We are very grateful to everyone who contributed to these collections and gives time to come to the hall to help sort, pack, and deliver,” said Gauld.
Carman CIBC, Corteva, and Carman Ford always send employees to help pack the hampers when it comes time. Them, along with other volunteers, will make for 50 people packing the Christmas hampers full of food, gifts, and hygiene products.
For those wanting to help, it isn’t too late. The Carman and Community Christmas Cheer Board is still accepting monetary donations. People can send an e-transfer to carmanchristmas@gmail.com. When doing so, Gauld asks that you put your mailing address in the message box as the cheer board doesn’t email receipts; they mail them out. Those who already sent an e-transfer without their address can just send it via email.
