With delivery day set for Monday, Dec. 22, the team at Community Centre 55 (CC55) is working at a frenetic pace and reaching out to the community for help to give 775 less fortunate families and individuals a Christmas.
"Food, food, food – the big push is for food," said Debbie Visconti, CC55’s executive director, earlier this week.
"We have more families than ever this year. People have been responding to our requests for food but we still need more."
Some of the most needed non-perishable items include cereal, pancake mix and syrup, pasta/rice, mac and cheese, pasta sauce, soups/stews, peanut butter/jam, canned fish/meat, canned fruits and vegetables, large cans of juice, baked beans, baby food and pet food.
Gifts for teens, especially gift cards, are also needed.
"Every little bit helps. The final countdown is on this week," Visconti said.
"We want to help everybody (who applies) and we will. Fortunately we haven’t had to turn anyone away."
Aside from providing nearly 800 food and gift hampers, Community Centre 55 will also be providing toys and gifts to an additional 400 to 500 families across the city through its emergency distribution clinic on Dec. 23.
The organization will also be providing food to the nearby Calvary Baptist Church for its annual Christmas dinner as well as a few extra families and individuals referred to the program by 55 Division.
The biggest yearly initiative at the Upper Beach-area agency, the 33rd annual Share-A-Christmas program officially kicked off for the season on Sunday, Nov. 23 with Hamper’s Santa Claus Parade on Kingston Road followed by a post-parade celebration at the local community centre.
A number of events were held in recent weeks to raise much-needed funds for the annual program.
Malvern Collegiate has organized a "hockey hoopla" fundraiser at Ted Reeve Arena, 175 Main St., the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $5. All proceeds from the event will benefit Community Centre 55’s Share-A-Christmas program.
"Donations have really just come through," Visconti smiled.
"We’re incredibly grateful to the neighbourhood for helping us this year and every year."
Starting the evening of Thursday, Dec. 18, dozens of volunteers – many of whom have come out year after year – will be making their way to CC55 to help sort and pack the food and gift hampers.
Pre-registration is not required.
Packing and sorting of non-perishables will take place Thursday, Dec. 18 and Friday, Dec. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Toys will be sorted and packed on Sunday, Dec. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. No children please.
On Monday, Dec. 22, a tractor trailer filled with 10,180 lbs. of meat (turkeys and hams) 13,536 lbs. of fresh fruit and veggies, 4,000 litres of milk, 20,000 lbs. of non-perishable items, and hundreds of loaves of bread will pull up in front of Community Centre 55.
The perishable food items will be packed and sorted on Monday, Dec. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with delivery set to begin that same day starting at 2 p.m.
Those interested in helping out should dress in layers as the building can get hot/cold, bring their muscles as the food boxes can get heavy, and pack their patience as lots of elves come out to help and things can get a little bit hectic at times.
Last year’s delivery day coincided with the start of the ice storm. Regardless, volunteers were out in full force to help distribute the hampers.
"This year we’re hoping for better weather," Visconti said.
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