Wayne Danbrook from the Knights of Columbus is anticipating another busy season for the Christmas Hamper campaign. Here, local students help Danbrook load donated food in the back of a pickup truck in during last year’s campaign. File photo
Wayne Danbrook and the Knights of Columbus are once again gearing up for some chivalry in Oliver this Christmas.
The Knights are reminding residents to think about the less fortunate as the group prepares to kickstart its annual Christmas Hamper campaign.
This is the 45th year of the campaign, which started out delivering 10 hampers to people in need. Now, volunteers process more than 200 hampers.
Danbrook, who is chairing the campaign with Gary Mythen, acknowledged the need for Christmas hampers has obviously grown significantly since the campaign began years ago.
“There are way more single parents today,” he pointed out, noting they represent a good portion of the hamper recipients.
Danbrook explained that a lot of churches helped the needy back in the day, and there was no food bank then.
There were more farmers, too, and if you have farmers, you always have food, he said.
Danbrook said today’s high cost of food is even making it difficult for working people to get by.
He also pointed to food waste that is still prevalent in society. For example, he said “ugly” apples are thrown out to make way for “perfect” apples. “But it’s not a perfect world,” he stated.
Danbrook credits local businesses in Oliver for stepping up and contributing to the hamper campaign every year via cash donations, which are needed to fill the hampers. Approximately 80 per cent of the food in the hampers is purchased.
People who need a hamper this Christmas must register with the Oliver Food Bank. But Danbrook realizes this can be hard to do.
“Some people won’t go because they are too proud to ask for help, so some people (this Christmas) try to make it without.”
He hopes people won’t feel this way because there is nothing wrong with asking for help.
Each hamper includes non-perishable food items, vegetables, fruit and a small ham.
Toys will also be purchased for children. Danbrook said The Bargain Shop in Oliver has a program where customers can buy a toy for the hamper campaign.
“Tummy Bags” will also be mailed out soon in the Oliver Chronicle so that people can fill them with non-perishable items and drop them off at the newspaper office.
As for the volunteers, it is truly a labour of love that goes into every hour processing the food and making up the hampers.
The Knights will be placing food collection boxes in various businesses on November 14. The distribution of the hampers will take place on Saturday, Dec. 17 in the lower hall of Christ the King Catholic Church.
For people who want to donate to the campaign, please make cheques payable to the Knights of Columbus/Hamper Project, Box 343, Oliver, BC, V0H 1T0.
By Lyonel Doherty
