The Smithers Community Services Association Christmas Hamper Program is in full swing.
Program coordinator Anne Harfenist said so everything is on track for a successful campaign.
“It is going fantastically,” she said. “Once we got the depot space, the volunteers came out in full force. Everything is going well, fingers crossed.”
She said if anyone is looking to donate still, the program has a wish list.
“We are always looking for cereal, peanut butter, tuna,” she noted. “We do get a lot of soup and canned vegetables but we can always use more. We could also use more Christmas treats, we have the foods for a Christmas dinner, and we like to add a box of chocolate or candy canes. Everyone else gets it, everyone should be a part of the season.”
She added the Harley Davidson toy run earlier this year helped to kick off the toy donations but more are still needed, especially for older children.
The Smithers library is also currently helping to collect donations.
“We have partnered with Smithers Community Services Association in their holiday food hamper for many years,” said library director Wendy Wright. “We used to call our program Food for Fines and offer to waive patrons’ fines in exchange for donations of food for the hampers. Any fines that people did pay to the library during the food drive were donated to SCSA. Last January, we stopped charging fines so now we just collect food donations for SCSA’s hampers. If people want to make a cash donation to the food drive we will pass that along as well.”
Each year, around 300 hampers go out to families in Telkwa, Smithers and Witset.
The depot is located in the old Work BC building on the corner of Highway 16 and Main Street
Applications for a hamper will be accepted until Fri. Dec 13.
They will be delivered on Dec. 18 in Witset and Dec. 21 in Smithers and Telkwa.