Innisfail and District Christmas Bureau volunteers came out by the dozens to donate and fill hampers the evening of Dec. 16 in the temporary warehouse in the Co-op mall.
Jane Duncalfe, the Christmas bureau's executive director, was kept busy directing volunteers to those tasked with assigning hampers to fill and those bringing in donations for the less fortunate.
“The room quickly becomes packed with volunteers filling hampers,” said Duncalfe of the annual event. “Families and service groups come out to support us and give back to the community.”
Bureau treasurer Norma Hoppins stood guard over the door and received donations from companies and individuals coming in the door.
“This is something I do because I enjoy serving people,” said Hoppins looking around at the volunteers and tables of gifts. “I don't do this because I want the recognition, I do this because it is the right thing to do.”
She pointed to a small stack of cheques she was going to write receipts for and smiled.
“It's almost like people know what we need and give it,” added Hoppins.
Around the room, a young mother and her family anxiously placed their donations on a table.
“It's amazing how many gifts people donated to the bureau,” said Tera Thompson whose daughters came with her to help out. “We donate presents every year somewhere and this year we wanted to come and drop them off.”
Her daughters, Ally and Laura, were in awe of the full tables as well.
“I look at the gifts and think that “there's a kid my age who is not as fortunate as me who may not be expecting anything for Christmas and I can help,” said Ally.
Meanwhile, community volunteers were given client slips and went from table to table filling green bags with Christmas joy.
Only days prior, the annual Charity Checkstop had generated a lesser amount of presents for the bureau, but almost $5,000 more in cash donations much to the surprise of Duncalfe.
“It was still a great day for the bureau and at the end of it all, the more than 200 families who have registered for hampers all win,” said the executive director. “We will likely end up somewhere near last year's numbers.”
Last year, the Red Deer Christmas Bureau donated cash and toys to Innisfail to help them out and this year, Innisfail lent a helping hand to Bowden.
“It was our turn to help,” said Duncalfe. “We all win, from volunteers to hamper recipients.”
Hampers were picked up on Dec. 18.
Norma Hoppins
"Families and service groups come out to support us and give back to the community."
