With the holiday season fast approaching, many start thinking more about the “Christmas Spirit” and giving back to their community. For over six years, Ray Germain has been doing his part – and providing a way for others – to help get food and toys to those who need them the most around the holidays through his “Christmas in a Box” collection bins.
“I came up with the idea while I was watching TV one night around Christmas and I was thinking: what I can do to help out,” Germain said. “I decided to put collection boxes around to get people to donate clothes and foods and toys so that they can go to families in need.”
Germain built large scale boxes to put in Lac La Biche and Plamondon. The large red, wooden box in Lac La Biche is 8x8 feet and currently sits in the Extra Foods parking lot, while the “gift box,” a 4x4 foot wooden box in Plamondon has found a home at the Plamondon Co-op.
Germain organized the boxes years ago not knowing that Plamondon already had a collection box in service from the Plamondon Fire Department. Once he realized there was already a box there, he decided to work in conjunction with the Plamondon Fire Department to make the donations a bigger success.
“We had been doing a box in Plamondon for about 14 years before Ray came along, but he has provided us with a bigger collection box which has helped tremendously,” said Plamondon Fire Chief Hal Pressling who notes that with the donations collected from boxes the fire department puts out and Germain’s box at the Co-op, the Plamondon fire department is able to help an average of 28 families in Plamondon, Wandering River, and Atmore, with Christmas hampers of food and some toys.
“Typically we help the people who slip through the cracks,” noted Pressling.
“We find out who needs the help through Victim Services or through word of mouth.”
The box that Germain has set up in Plamondon has helped a great deal, Pressling said, adding that collections from holiday community events in the region also help, as well as donations from local business. Any money collected goes right back into purchasing food for the hampers. Pressling said that no matter where the help comes from, it’s greatly appreciated by both the Plamondon Fire Department as well as the families that receive the help.
“Every little bit helps at Christmas time and Ray found a really great thing to do. It would be great to have more people like him,” Pressling said. “Even if the hampers just help to free up some cash for these families to buy their own gifts, that is something too.”
As for the families in the Lac La Biche area, Germain donates the items put in the box in to the Lac La Biche Fire Department’s annual Santa’s Helpers campaign, which also fills hampers every year with toys and food. The hampers filled in Lac La Biche will serve about 75 families in Lac La Biche and the surrounding areas.
“The most important thing is to get the boxes out and filled every year and get the food and toys to the families that need it,” Germain said. “Some kids wake up and get out of bed and put their feet on a warm rug; others get a cold floor and no food in their stomachs.”
Germain is thankful for all the support and donations that he receives every year from the boxes and is also thankful to Pressling for all that he has done in Plamondon and all the effort that goes into making the boxes a success. Germain would also like to thank Lighthouse Solutions for donating personnel and time to help fix the recently vandalized box at Extra Foods.
“I am thankful for all the donations. The important thing to do is get the boxes out and get them filled so we can give to the kids,” Germain said, adding that it’s important to help the kids all year round whenever possible.
The boxes will be out at both location until about Dec. 22 but will be emptied throughout the collection period as they get full. Germain encourages people to give as much as they can and thanks everyone for their continued support.
