'The people of Sooke are super generous': Residents pitch in for food bank's hamper fund
Shelves are being stocked at the Sooke Food Bank in preparation for the upcoming Christmas hamper season.
“We’re (at) about 300 to 350 for hampers,” said Ben Molesky, director of the Sooke Food Bank.
That’s up from last year's 250, and it's still only November.
With other charities around the capital region hitting capacity, the demand is expected to climb.
“I’m thinking it will be around (another) 10 to 15 per cent,” said Molesky.
It’s an increase that the food bank director says will be met. But it’s going to take a little help from community partners, beginning with the local fire department.
“We have a multi-prong approach,” said Heather Lane, a firefighter with Sooke Fire Rescue.
“We do a 'fill a fire truck' campaign for three weeks.”
For that campaign, members are posted outside of grocery stores, collecting money for the food bank.
On Dec. 10, the department will embark on a door-to-door campaign, coving the entire District of Sooke, asking for donation for the Christmas Bureau.
“We are giving gifts for all families who ask for them,” said Molesky.
To help in that department, the food bank has partnered with the local Pharmasave to run a program called "Tags for Trees."
“Basically, you can come in here and you can grab a tag off the tree and you can make somebody’s Christmas wish come true,” said Deanna Brett, front store manager at Pharmasave in Sooke.
Find a tag with a gift wish on it and purchase the present.
“You can leave it at Pharmasave and we’ll make sure it gets to the right organization,” said Brett. “So it gets into the right happy little hands for Christmas.”
There are two trees, one for the food bank and another for Ayre Manor, which is an assisted-living home for seniors in Sooke.
“Which is extremely thoughtful and it’s very nice to see,” said Molesky. “The people of Sooke are super generous.”
As pressures continue to grow, the community of Sooke is coming together, to make sure every family has a merry Christmas this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.