With just one week to go before Christmas, all the ingredients are in place to create holiday magic for Sundre's needy at the workshop of Santa's Anonymous.
Dedicated organizers have put in the grocery orders for basic hampers. Volunteers are busy collecting food and gifts throughout the community. And 143 hampers, including those for seniors, have been registered for the program. The hampers will serve more than 300 citizens, said Mary Gunderson, coordinator of the annual Santa's Anonymous program which began its operations for the 2012 holiday season in early October.
“The deadline is December 21 to register but if someone in need comes after we are not going to turn them away,” said Gunderson. She expects this year's program will at least equal the demand as last year when 143 hampers - filled with food, household goods and toys – were given to 315 total recipients at Christmastime.
“I think we will probably be very close to it, or just above. That is my gut feeling,” said Gunderson, who has been volunteering with Santa's Anonymous for more than 12 years. She is in her second season as coordinator.
Gunderson said the food drive for this year's Santa's Anonymous program was jump-started by River Valley School's Me to We Club which collected 850 pounds of non-perishable food during a special Halloween collection drive. Last week on Dec. 7, the program held its annual Charity Check Stop and citizens donated a total of $9,787.
She said local 4-H clubs and Sundre Search and Rescue are having their food drive on Dec. 16 when members are taking wagon teams out in the community. In the meantime, students are volunteering at the workshop, located at #2 204 Centre St. North, to load and unload trucks and also help with putting together hampers.
The successful community effort is made possible by the close to 200 volunteers who freely and enthusiastically donate their time to the special holiday program, said Gunderson, whose program began this season operating on a $45,000 budget. She said the funds come from community donations.
“As always it has been going wonderfully,” she said. “As the needs come up they are being met. The community is very generous.
“The program is helping a lot of people,” added Gunderson. “The community has stepped up to the plate - again. It is also heartwarming. A lot of people who were helped in the past are helping now. It is awesome to see that.”
The hampers for registered recipients will be prepared by volunteers from Dec. 17 to 21. Each recipient will receive food, a Sobeys certificate (to buy turkey and fresh produce) and gifts. The quantities of items in each hamper will depend on the number of members in each family.
Gunderson said citizens can call 403-638-1011 to refer anyone who requires the Santa's Anonymous program. She said the program is still looking for gift and clothing donations for children.
