'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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.