The Osoyoos food bank is getting ready for a busy Christmas season. Although its shelves look full now, everything will be given away before Christmas. Volunteers from left are: Stan Wolter, Diane Zorn, Lenore Anderson, Bonnie Martin, Bryan Zorn and Pastor Phil Johnson of Osoyoos Baptist Church. (Richard McGuire photo)
While Christmas is considered a time of joy, happiness and time spent with family, it can also be a time of loneliness and sadness for many.
Thanks to the parishioners at Osoyoos Baptist Church and numerous community volunteers, dozens of Osoyoos and area residents will be able to enjoy great food and good company once again this Christmas.
That’s because the Osoyoos Baptist Church is once again holding its annual community Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day as well as its annual Osoyoos Food Bank Christmas Hamper program.
“No one should be hungry at Christmas time and no one should have to be alone and we make sure that doesn’t happen in this community,” said Pastor Phil Johnson, who has been the pastor at Osoyoos Baptist Church for the past 11 years.
“We have a tremendous amount of community support and that’s why our Christmas hamper program and the Christmas dinner are so successful.”
The Christmas Hamper program will help feed up to 120 local families and ensure they have a healthy and nutritious Christmas dinner.
“Our hampers include everything you will need to enjoy a good Christmas dinner,” said Johnson. “This includes a nice turkey or ham, fresh veggies, potatoes, crackers and other goodies. “The whole idea is to provide everything you need to enjoy a great Christmas dinner.”
The deadline to register for the Christmas hamper program is this Friday, Dec. 12. Anyone interested in registering to receive a hamper can do so at the Osoyoos Food Bank, located at the Cactus Centre behind the Osoyoos Splash Park or by contacting Osoyoos Baptist Church at 250-495-6581.
All of the costs to pay for the Christmas hampers comes from the annual budget from the Osoyoos Food Bank and most of the money raised by the food bank comes from direct donations from local citizens, said Johnson.
A large group of volunteers puts together the hampers in the hours before they are handed out to local families the morning of December 22 at the Cactus Centre, he said.
Anyone who might need transportation to the Cactus Centre to pick up their hampers and bring them home can have that arranged by contacting Osoyoos Baptist Church.
Being able to feed a less fortunate family at Christmas time is the right thing to do in any community and the fact those they help show so much appreciation is just a bonus, said Johnson.
‘This is all about what God tells us to do when it comes to assisting the poor and less fortunate,” he said. “The poor will always be with us in any community and I’m just very pleased that those with more want to help those with less at Christmas.”
Many communities hold Christmas dinner celebrations, but very few actually hold them on Christmas Day as has become tradition in Osoyoos for many years, said Johnson.
“The fact that so many give up their free time on Christmas Day to help others has always amazed me,” he said. “The fact we hold our Christmas Dinner on December 25 has always been a special source of pride for me since moved to this community and I hope it’s a tradition that carries on for many years to come.”
Once again, the organizers are planning a dinner for up to 150 people in the downstairs hall at Osoyoos Baptist Church.
While the Christmas hamper program is designed specifically for the less fortunate, the Christmas dinner is open to everyone and anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas and the generosity of what makes Osoyoos a wonderful community to live in, said Johnson.
“We have families who are well established in the community and want a different take on Christmas, we have seniors who don’t want to go through the hassle of cooking a big Christmas dinner and we have people who have just moved to town and don’t know a lot of people,” he said. “The bottom line is no one should be alone on Christmas day and this dinner provides an opportunity for everyone to gather and enjoy a wonderful meal and share some community spirit.”
Both local grocery stores – Family Foods and Buy-Low – generously contribute a large amount of the food that is prepared for the dinner, he said.
Johnson said he couldn’t think of a better way to spend Christmas day than being part of the Christmas dinner at Osoyoos Baptist Church.
“This is how my wife and I have spent every Christmas since we moved to Osoyoos 11 years ago and I, quite frankly, wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said. “It’s a wonderful event where the entire community comes together to share good food and spirit and it’s an event I really think showcases everything that’s good about living in Osoyoos.”
It would help if those intending on attending the Christmas dinner would call the church so organizers will have a good idea of how many meals they will have to prepare.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
