Every year, the Creston Valley Ministerial Association gives special meaning to the season of giving.
Once again, over 100 community volunteers have gathered donations for Christmas hampers filled with groceries and gifts for low-income families to enjoy this December.
“(The Ministerial Association) wants to make it possible for people to have a special time with their family and experience the joy of Christmas, even if they're in a place where they're not able to do so financially,” said Hermen Koehoorn, pastor at New Life Church. “The core message of Christmas is blessing and helping people, and our real purpose is to just share God's love with the community, even though it's not just a Christian event.”
The Christmas hampers are meant to be a festive treat, packed with pantry staples and all the essentials for a holiday meal. Each one is assigned to a specific family and packaged accordingly, with age appropriate gifts for any kids in the household. Some hampers may include bread, apples, assorted vegetables, cranberries, syrup, pancake mix, hot chocolate, stuffing, and pet supplies.
Inflation continues to drive up costs of the program. For 2024, expenses are an estimated $65,000 to serve 500 families, which equates to about 900 individual hamper boxes and 1,400 people. Comparatively, the Christmas hamper program cost approximately $22,000 a decade ago in 2012.
“I think the times are such that there's a greater need, and people have less disposable income to splurge on a nice dinner and buy gifts,” said Koehoorn. “Just financially, many people are finding themselves in tight places, so to be able to share care and love for our community at this time of year, it certainly lifts spirits but also provides practical help.”
How to help
That being said, community donations are crucial to supporting the program. Monetary donations can be made any time, to help offset expenses and enable the Ministerial Association to continue to do their work throughout the year.
• Donate a new unwrapped gift for children from infants to 11 years old
• Donate non-perishable food items to a local church or the Gleaners Food Bank
• Make a monetary donation at the Creston Valley Advance office (1018 Canyon St.) or Apex Accounting (122 – 11 Ave. N)
• Donate online at www.crestonvalleyministerial.com
Those in need of a hamper are asked to pre-register before Nov. 30. To do so, contact any of the churches listed on www.crestonvalleyministerial.com or contact the Gleaners Food Bank at 250-428-4107. Any further questions can be directed to cvmahamper@gmail.com.
Pick-up for the Christmas hampers is Wednesday, Dec. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a drive-thru in the Holy Cross Catholic Church parking lot, snow or shine. Pre-registration is required.
