Cheer Board wraps up 2022 hamper campaign

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This article was published 30/12/2022 (1106 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The annual local holiday season miracle never ceases to amaze the executive director of the Christmas Cheer Board.

“I am always in awe of the Winnipeg community. When we put the need out — and people know there are families that go without if there’s no help received — people always step up,” Shawna Bell said this week. “I can’t say enough about how wonderful people are.”

The proof is in the Christmas pudding.

The Cheer Board, in its 103rd year of making positive things happen for families in need over the holiday season, raised enough money to fill all 18,225 applications for hampers. That’s about 1,400 applications over the previous year — and the most ever.

“Everyone who applies receives one. We were even taking applications on Dec. 24,” Bell said. “Times are tough, and the cost of food has really impacted a lot of families. Newcomers (to Canada) increased the demand, as well.”

As a major sponsor, the Free Press once again held its Miracle on Mountain financial donation campaign. As of late Thursday, a few bucks shy of $92,000 had been raised.

Incredibly, that’s way up from the nearly $57,500 initially generated in 2021 (although an anonymous donor graciously added another $60,000 to that total a year ago).

“That is absolutely amazing and a huge success,” Bell said of this year’s Miracle on Mountain haul.

The warehouse on Wellington Avenue is no longer the beehive of activity it was in the weeks preceding Christmas, however, financial donations are still being accepted (and earn a tax receipt).

It’s never a bad thing to begin stowing money away for next year’s Cheer Board work.

Community members also donated many hours to the cause. In the warehouse, about 300 volunteer elves were kept busy each day, while another 2,000 with varying responsibilities — including hamper drop-offs — stepped up.

Bell said that giving spirit shone when hamper recipients chipped in.

“We saw people picking up their hamper and then offering to do drop-offs. They just wanted to help,” she said. “It was remarkable. I feel like the entire community rallied to help us with our commitments.”

Many Ukrainians who arrived as refugees from the Russian invasion and spent their first Christmas in Canada received hampers but were also willing to join the team.

“That was really neat for us to see. Early on, when the newcomers were coming to apply for a hamper or pick one up, they were learning a little about who we were and what we did. And we had quite a few step up and volunteer, as a way to thank us,” Bell said.

The board distributed grocery gift cards instead of hampers in 2020 and ‘21, owing to COVID-19 pandemic. Bell acknowledged it was a joy to get back to regular operations this time around, although hampers did not include turkeys or chickens.

The Cheer Board also ran out of toys for some age groups of children. Ensuring that doesn’t occur again will be a priority next year.

“We’ll go back and reflect on what we can do to improve in the coming years. What we did try to do was extend the contents of the hamper, so that folks would have more than just one meal out of it,” Bell said.

“The fact of the matter is (the hard times) aren’t going away anytime soon. I think we’ll see a similar impact next year. My job is to scrutinize the data and understand where we need to pick up the pace.

“But the need is not going away.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell