The Christmas Hamper Program is back.
The Cloverdale Community Kitchen’s big holiday season program gets much-needed toys and food to needy families in time for Christmas.
“Things are kicking off, said Matthew Campbell, the director of the Cloverdale Community Kitchen. “We start packing hampers beginning Dec. 13.”
Campbell said the Community Kitchen is supporting twice the number of children this year than they have in past years.
“It’s been quite the increase in the number of kids,” he explained. “We are helping a lot of new immigrant families. They have six to eight kids each.”
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Campbell said because of COVID, the Kitchen will be delivering each and every hamper to people’s homes again this year.
And the Kitchen is still in need of volunteers to both help pack hampers and to help deliver hampers across the region.
Campbell said they need about another 100 volunteers to help out in either capacity as delivery will begin Dec. 18.
“People will not come to pick them up,” Campbell said. “We’ll be driving to people’s houses to drop them off.”
The Kitchen will be serving about 600 households this year.
Campbell added the local business community has really boosted the hamper program this year.
“We just had our Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce and Cloverdale BIA event at the Community Kitchen and we raised over $5,000 for the hamper program.”
He said a lot of businesses helped out with cash donations and many donated boxes of toys.
“This year there’s been a lot more small businesses and real estate agents doing small food drives and small toy drives for us,” noted Campbell. “It’s been a big help. It added up and we needed it—especially with the increase in the number of kids this year.”
FREE CLOTHING
Campbell said he’s also setting up a “free” store on Dec. 11.
“We collected a whole bunch of clothing for flood victims, which we sent out, but we also collected whole bunch of clothing for anyone in Cloverdale that is in need,” explained Campbell.
Campbell said those in need can swing by Hope Community Church (18625 Fraser Hwy) Dec. 11.
“We expect about 500 people to come. We have free jackets, boots, gloves, and all kinds of free clothing for winter.”
For more info, or to volunteer, visit mycck.ca.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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