The Lac La Biche Fire Fighter Society delivered their food and toy hampers to 125 families on last Monday.
The organization has been collecting donations for their annual Santa’s Helper hamper drive, a way to assist families who are facing a hard time this Christmas season.This year their goal was to collect $20,000 a target that organizer Natasha Downes was happy to exclaim that they were able to achieve.
Members of the society first joined together on Sunday, Dec. 15, at the Light of Christ School with help from members of the local 4H club, to help wrap donated toys and children's gifts alongside other volunteers. Turning the school's gym into a kind of Santa's workship, volunteers would first see how old a child was and then go pick out the appropriate gift before moving onto the wrapping stations where they would personally wrap each present.
Food next
The food hampers were filled the following night in the gym during another volunteer work bee with help from Trans Canada Energy employees.
Within an hour, the group filled all the hampers with multiple non-perishable food items as well as ham and turkey.
Downes says that the community has really pulled through with this event and thanks to local businesses, they were able to make sure each hamper carried the necessities for a Christmas dinner.
“We didn’t have enough toys for ages nine to 11, but we were able to go out and purchase a few more, thanks to the donations,” says Downes.
Members of the Firefighters' Society personally delivered the hampers to families on Monday night.