INNISFAIL - For each of the more than 35 years the Innisfail Christmas Bureau has served the town’s vulnerable there have been many who have dreaded walking through the doors for help.
Norma Hoppins, who has been volunteering at the agency for more than 15 years, specifically recalled one such lady who mustered the courage to apply for a hamper but the tears nevertheless came.
“This is very upsetting. I am embarrassed,” said the woman. Hoppins then gently countered. “Do you know there are people working in here, one lady in particular who has three huge diamond rings on her finger, because one time in her life when she had small children she needed to come here.
“She always comes back and works. You can do that too.”
The upset lady, suddenly moved by what she just heard, then said, “OK, you are right. We all go through a tough patch.”
To be extra clear about Hoppins’ message, no citizen has to be alone during the holiday season. Most citizens in the community have faced that “tough patch," and the Christmas Bureau is there to help make the holiday season smoother, even joyous.
The Innisfail Christmas Bureau, located this year at the Co-op Mall in the recently vacated Amish furniture store, has been officially open since Nov. 13 to accept hamper registrations. Volunteers are accepting registrations every Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and every Wednesday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. until Dec. 9. Hampers will be distributed every Thursday beginning Nov. 29 with the last hamper fill/pickup on Dec. 12.
“We always hope that the nearest to their interviewing time they (citizens) can pick up their stuff,” said Hoppins, who is the bureau’s donations chairperson. “There are some people who have absolutely no vehicle. One of the volunteers will drive it over to wherever they live.”
Hoppins said the response for support from the Innisfail Christmas Bureau has so far been steady, a “little up” from last year.
“But at this point not noticeably, and we are not panicking,” she said. “After the first night of doing interviews there were 14 hampers.”
She said last year 324 individual citizens, which included 144 children under the age of 19, had a better holiday thanks to the Christmas Bureau and the generosity of local citizens and businesses.
“People come in, they get interviewed. They have to have an Alberta Health Card for identification. They have to have a bill from the town proving they live here because some people will double or triple dip down to Ponoka or Lacombe. So there is verification and we fill those hampers.
“We do adults and in particular AISH citizens; those are the people who get handicapped assistance.
“We have some people who are in here year after year and that is our pleasure,” said Hoppins. “For them the important thing is that gift card from either No Frills or Co-op.
“A hamper is not for food because food is covered under a card to No Frills or Co-op, and is a fixed amount determined by the number of recipients needing one hamper, such as a single mother with two children, or a single adult,” she added.
“The minute we have children involved it increases quite nicely.”
For every child the hamper will also include a book, puzzle, game, an action figure, tuque, mitts and a scarf, as well as smaller toys. Later a parent comes in and is allowed to choose a gift or several items worth up to a maximum of $75. “It becomes quite nice.”
As for teenagers Hoppins noted many like digital music cards.
“It is really hard for us to buy for teenagers. They don’t want toys. Sometimes they want clothes but not always,” she noted. “One of our most categorically difficult groups to buy for are teens, particularly boys People will send in makeup and all this stuff for girls, but we seem to hit a dead wall when it comes to boys.”
For more information visit the Innisfail Christmas Bureau page on Facebook for updates. For registration citizens can call 403-227-3111 or 403-227-1739. For information on donations call 403-877-1466. For all other inquiries call 403-872-8944.
