Hopefully no one in the Nelson area will go hungry this holiday season. At least, that’s the plan of Nelson’s emergency food service providers as they are busy preparing food hampers and organizing holiday meals.
“The hamper I got from the Nelson Food Cupboard last year was loaded with healthy food and allowed me to give my family the gift of a great Christmas dinner, treats throughout the holidays and some other good meals too. I have a hard time make ends meet and was so touched by this act of kindness,” said one hamper recipient.
Nelson Food Cupboard staff and volunteers are currently organizing to give out 170 hampers that will give 500 people healthy foods to make into holiday meals.
“We can give out all these amazing Holiday Hampers every year because of the generosity of our community,” said Marya Skrypiczajko, Holiday Hamper coordinator. “Many local food producers such as Au Soleil Levant French Bakery, Oso Negro, the Kootenay Bakery and more donate food for the hampers, and then we purchase the other staples and fresh produce with financial donations. Financial donations get stretched even further because Endless Harvest and Save On Foods chip in with great discounts.”
And businesses seem happy to help.
“We are honoured to donate coffee to the Nelson Food Cupboard’s hampers and give people who are in need a holiday treat,” said Anne Bokser Wishlow, Oso Negro co-owner. “This is a great opportunity to give back to a dynamic community. Supporting the community is a key component to our existence as a business, be it by having co-workers instead of machines do all aspects of the roasting and packaging or donating to citizens of the area whenever we can.”
There is still time to take part in the Nelson Food Cupboard’s Holiday Hamper program. Financial donations go toward food for the hampers, food donations stock the shelves for January, and people interested in putting a hamper together themselves can be matched with an anonymous family.
If you would like to contribute, please send donations to the Nelson Food Cupboard at 602 Silica Street, Nelson, V1L 4N1 or donate online through their website, www.foodcupboard.org. Charity receipts will be issued.
For more information on the Nelson Food Cupboard or to drop off donations, stop by during open hours: Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or call 250-354-1633. The Nelson Food Cupboard is located in the basement of the Nelson United Church at 602 Silica Street.