Cheer Board stops taking hamper orders after demand ‘exploded’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/12/2023 (666 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Christmas Cheer Board had no option but to stop taking requests for food hampers Wednesday after a record-breaking 20,250 people had signed up for the program.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like I was letting people down,” said executive director Shawna Bell. “This organization means something very important to me and helping folks in this community means a lot to me. I feel very, very sorry that we’ve come to this.”

The lifeline for needy Winnipeggers during the holiday season had to shut down its phone lines early for the first time in its 104-year history. The call centre was meant to stay open until Dec. 24.

The supply of food in the St. James warehouse where the charity packs hampers was depleted Wednesday as volunteers continued to hand out boxes of pantry staples.

The phone lines had opened earlier than usual, on Nov. 3, to accommodate the suspected increase in demand for hampers.

Bell said that demand comes from the rising cost of living and an influx of newcomers who are trying to find their footing in Winnipeg.

The Cheer Board originally budgeted to accommodate 19,000 families.

“It’s devastating that there are so very many people in this city that are in a circumstance that they need our support right now,” Bell said. “It breaks not just my heart, but every single one of our volunteers’ (hearts).”

This year, more people seeking help have just dropped in without having registered for a hamper first.

Bell said they knew the numbers were high Monday morning, but a surge of hundreds of walk-ins meant they no longer had enough food to meet demand.

They remained optimistic until the end, Bell said.

“That sort of tipped the scales on what we were going to (be able to do),” Bell said. “Things had almost looked like they were slowing down over the weekend and then it just exploded again.”

Vince Barletta, president of Harvest Manitoba, said the Cheer Board is doing “fabulous work” but it’s been hard for food banks to keep up with growing demand.

“We’re seeing a lot of people struggling all over the community this holiday season,” Barletta said. “Let’s hope in 2024 we see those numbers going down.”

Harvest Manitoba serves 51,000 people across the province, a jump from previous years.

The early closure of Christmas hamper applications may affect how many people visit Harvest Manitoba, but Barletta said many people who access the other program often are clients there, too.

Next year, Bell said they’ll take a “hard look” at the numbers from this season to try to meet demand. That might mean hampers will have to be downsized.

“The positive on this is that we’re helping more people and that’s important,” Bell said. “My hope is that there are… folks who are able to enjoy the holidays because they’ve received a little bit of support from us.”

Children’s gifts are still available, she said.

The charity’s warehouse will stay open until Christmas Eve to accommodate hamper deliveries and pickups.

jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca