Community comes together on hamper project

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This article was published 17/12/2018 (2664 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A charitable idea has brought a group of Crestview neighbours closer together. 

This is the second time residents from Inch Bay and Crestview Park Drive have joined forces to make hampers for families in need over the holidays. 

“I think it’s a great way to get the street together because in the summer we’re all outside and chatting, but in winter you don’t see so many people,” said Joanne Marks, who has been collecting the donations of toys, clothes and food items under her Christmas tree. “I love living here because people are willing to get involved.”

The tradition started two years ago when the neighbours collected items for a local family that was new to Canada. With the large numbers of donations that came in that first year, Marks decided to make hampers for two families this time around. 

To spread the word, she and her son, Pierce Plikett, dropped off notes to houses in the neighbourhood inviting whoever was interested to donate items for the hampers. Roughly nine families had gotten involved by last Wednesday.

“I think it’s great because I think a lot of people want to do something like this, but it takes somebody to actually take the initiative in the first place,” neighbour Al Kalupar said. “I’ve done something similar in the past, so I know how much effort first-hand it is.”

Cheryl Look lives nearby and met Marks and her family for the first time through the hamper drive. She agrees with Kalupar’s sentiment. 

“It’s not that I didn’t think about it, but I just didn’t think to get it together but these people did and I think that’s lovely,” Look said.

Pat Pollock lives across the street from Marks and used to collect hampers through her office before she retired. This initiative has made it easy for her to give again during the holidays.   

“There are so many people that need help,” she said. 

Marks says she hopes the hamper drive becomes an annual event and she is extending the challenge to other neighbourhoods.

“You don’t need anything fancy, you just put a note together and one person just needs to deliver and house the stuff,” she said. “The benefit is you get to meet your neighbours and you get to make friends from it.”

“You know lots of faces from walking the dog, but you don’t always stop to chat unless they’re walking their dog too,” Kalupar added, laughing.