Pickleball Pals bring the cheer

Five years ago, Audrey Workman presented her pickleball group with an idea to spread the holiday spirit to a family in need.

The group of 25 seniors, who have played a few times every week for the last decade, had volunteered and donated to other initiatives around the city in the past, so Workman thought the Christmas Cheer Board’s Feed-A-Family program would be a perfect fit for her clan.

The Pickleball Pals bought in immediately, and they’ve done so every year since.

“It started with the idea that we’re very fortunate. We have everything we need and recognizing that there are people in the community who don’t have that, and realizing that, as a group, we can impact somebody,” Workman said.

“We thought we could do a little bit more and make it more personal.”

This year, the Pickleball Pals are one of 1,480 sponsors responsible for supporting 2,050 families through the Feed-A-Family initiative.

The program allows any individual or group to give back during the holiday season by creating a hamper that will be delivered to any number — and size of — families they choose.

However, sponsors are down from last year. The Cheer Board projects about 150 fewer families will receive a care package in time for the holidays.

Cheer Board executive director Shawna Bell said not only are there fewer sponsors, but less of them have agreed to prepare hampers for multiple families.

“It presents a few more challenges for folks, and they have to think very carefully about what they can spend, what their capacity for giving us this year,” Bell said. “So, we’re very optimistic that more folks will come forward, but the days are sort of starting to tick away and that’s when we get a little nervous, because we know that we’re behind.”

The Cheer Board, which plans to prepare 21,000 hampers this year, has aimed for years to exceed 3,000 sponsored families, but hasn’t hit that number yet, despite its best efforts.

“We’re always hopeful,” Bell said. “Over the last few years, it’s been a tough time for folks, too. A program that we would hope would grow … the economy has really presented some challenges that have prevented us from seeing an increase in sponsors.”

While the Cheer Board has a guideline of non-perishable items that must be included, the Pickleball Pals, who have sponsored the same family for the last five years — a single parent and their two children — have gone out of their way to add a personalized touch each year.

Workman speaks with the parent every year to find out what the kids’ latest interests are so they have gifts to open on Christmas Day. The caring seniors also ensure the hamper always includes household staples like detergent, toilet paper, paper towels and fresh food items like milk, eggs and cheese, to make it a complete care package.

In past years, the knitters of the group have woven tuques, scarves and mitts for the family, while the parent is also sure to receive a gift so they can feel the joy of Christmas.

“There’s that element of satisfaction — feeling like we’ve made a difference, and doing it together as a group,” Workman said. “I think it definitely has strengthened our bond as a group, and it’s obviously very gratifying to give.”

There have also been eight hockey teams, one baseball team, one basketball team and a rugby team to sponsor families this year, along with a group of hockey moms.

“It’s immeasurable,” Bell said of the impact each sponsor has on families and the Cheer Board. “Every time an individual or an organization comes forward to sponsor a family, it means that we can get to at least one more family that may not be able to receive a hamper this year.

“Our finances aren’t infinite, so we do have to seriously look at having to stop providing hampers at some point in time, which is nothing that we love to do. So, every time there’s an extra sponsor that comes forward, it means that we can get more food and more hampers out to families, and to share some Christmas spirit with kids, little ones who need it the most.”

Workman, who studied sociology in university, said the idea to sponsor a family sprang from recalling a famous quote by American anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small, committed group of citizens can change the world; Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

“That kind of spoke to me, personally,” Workman said. “I thought, ‘We’re a small group, but we can make a difference.’”

Indeed, they have.

Workman, a retired teacher, remembers participating in similar initiatives with her students. She maintained that it’s an important exercise for children to become aware of the challenges that others face, and it’s also an act that can bind a group.

“It’s good for students, good for kids, but, you know what, it’s good for all of us,” Workman said. “It’s good for seniors, too, to give back to the community.”

To sponsor a family, visit christmascheerboard.ca.