The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Airdrie Lioness Club to significantly modify its annual Christmas hamper program.
“The only way we could go forward to help the community – because we felt the need would really be there this year – would be to run the program as a gift card type hamper,” said Lisa Kennedy, the Lioness Club’s social media co-ordinator.
In past years, Lioness Club hampers included a week’s supply of food for a family, with a gift card to purchase a turkey and fixings for a Christmas dinner. Hampers, which were distributed to families in need shortly before Christmas, also included gifts for each member of the family.
Normally, the Lioness Club would use the old fire hall on Main Street as its headquarters while it collected donations and assembled hampers. This year, Kennedy said that simply wasn’t available, as the site is currently being used by Alberta Health Services as a COVID-19 testing centre.
Further, she said assembling the hampers would have required multiple volunteers to touch many different items. Based on guidance from Alberta Health, the club found it would have been impossible to run the program the way they normally have.
Additionally, many of the volunteers that would participate in the program are seniors – the demographic deemed the most at risk for COVID-19.
For those reasons, instead of collecting food and gift donations, Kennedy said the Lioness Club is looking for cash donations, as well as donated gift cards, which will allow families to purchase their own food and gifts. Kennedy said the club is particularly in need of gift cards for grocery stores, toy stores, hardware stores, spas, salons, movie theatres or local home-based businesses.
“We’re really looking to support businesses and keep the money in Airdrie,” she said.
While any amount is accepted, she said smaller value gift cards are preferable, as they will be easier to assign to the hampers.
Because families will have to do their own shopping, the hampers will be distributed a little earlier than usual, according to Kennedy. For that reason, the deadline to donate is Dec. 1.
With many organizations seeing a drop in donations but an increased need due to the pandemic, Kennedy said the Lioness Club is unsure what to expect in terms of the program's usage.
“It’s a question mark in everybody’s mind right now,” she said. “We’re not exactly sure if it’s going to be more – we’re trying to feel that out as we go.”
Supporting the hamper program is a relatively easy way to give back to the community, Kennedy said, and she encouraged anybody who is able to make even a small donation. She also invited any person or group that is able to sponsor a family hamper. The price depends on the size of the family, she said, with a single-person family costing $325 and a family of eight or more costing closer to $1,000.
Meanwhile, any family in need of a hamper can go to airdrielionessclub.com to fill out a referral form, which can be emailed to [email protected]. Once the form is complete, the club will be in contact to begin a screening process. Applicants are expected to provide government-issued identification for each family member and a number of financial documents including two months of bank statements, a utility bill, rent or mortgage receipts and loan documentation.
The deadline to apply for a hamper is Dec. 1.
Though unavoidable, Kennedy mourned the changes to the program.
“It was such a spirit of community when you were in that warehouse,” Kennedy said. “You’d be sorting produce or loading boxes with everybody from the mayor to EMS drivers. It’s really sad we can’t actually run the program as we normally would this year.”
Ben Sherick, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @BenSherick
