With the festive season approaching, Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank volunteers are working to fill Christmas hampers.
Hamper pickup takes place from Dec. 2-22 at various locations across Nanaimo.
Peter Sinclair, Loaves and Fishes executive director, said 3,400 households, from Nanaimo to the north Island, are expected to receive a hamper, an increase of 35 per cent from last year.
This time of year is when the non-profit sees its highest volume of donations, with some mailing cheques, but the strike by Canada Post workers is affecting that, said Sinclair. People can donate on Loaves and Fishes' website or at the warehouse at 210 Fry St. Donations of canned protein – peanut butter, canned fish and the like – are also in demand, he said, and volunteers are needed.
People can go to the website to sign up for a volunteer shift and appointments can be booked there as well.
Sinclair said there will be a last chance for to receive a hamper on Dec. 23 from 12-3 p.m. at Nanaimo Native Victory Chapel at 471 Irwin St.
Recipients should arrive to pick up their hampers no more than five minutes before their scheduled time, with a piece of government-issued identification, and bags and boxes to carry their items, as they won't be provided. Sinclair also recommends bringing Christmas cheer.
"Come expecting to be happy and have a good time, because we've got really great volunteers – they're going to make it a positive place," said Sinclair.
For the most part, the food bank will be open as usual during the latter part of December.
“We're not open Christmas, we're not open New Year's Day," said Sinclair. "Other than that, it's just our regular program. That was a change we did last year, and it worked really well … markets run at the same time, so you're not disrupting things. The other thing is keeping our support of other agencies running through the whole time. In the past, we have closed that down in December, and we're not doing that anymore."
For more information, go to www.nanaimoloavesandfishes.org and click on the Christmas 2024 tab.
