An update on the Volunteer Centre of Charlotte County Facebook page posted Wednesday, Nov. 24 reminds clients that this coming Friday, Dec. 3 is the deadline to register for assistance over the Christmas season.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY – As we head into our second pandemic holiday season, usual preparations are not the normal anymore.
Donna Linton is the coordinator of the Volunteer Centre of Charlotte County. As December nears closer, she said while they are working hard, knowing exactly what’s going to happen isn’t as simple as years past.
“It’s really hard to plan for this Christmas compared to other years,” she said. “One of the things we are really down on is volunteers, and that’s because of COVID,” said Linton. “We have to build our volunteer base back-up, and that’s not easy. Because it’s Christmas, we have to keep it tight and small.
“It will be more work for less people.”
Alongside with a smaller volunteer base, Linton admits she is also concerned about the communities in general knowing what they might need this year.
“I’m worried about lack of awareness, because other years we could engage kids and recruit at the Superstore and set-up,” explained Linton. “Everything is just still on standstill as far as any group meetings go, down to our bins that haven’t been out since COVID.”
But, as proven year after year, Linton said she has no concerns about St. Stephen and area residents stepping-up to the plate.
“What I’m not worried about is the community in general,” said Linton. “Once individuals, groups, and even schools get themselves organized, I know they’ll be contributing as they always do and we do see a lot of donations come,” she said.
The Volunteer Centre of Charlotte County supports not only the town of St. Stephen, but also about 18 communities bordering the town. With about 60 to 70 monthly clients, Linton said this year they are expecting anywhere from 300 to 330 families to access their Christmas offerings.
She said they are now in the planning phase to release their asks to the community.
“We have a Christmas hamper list and a Christmas wish list, and we will publish both of those in our newsletter, as well we will have them on Facebook and on our website,” she said.
Compared to regular use in the other months, Linton said they will also offer holiday staples.
“Right now, it’s client choice; they can pick their own food to meet their needs and when it comes to Christmas things, we’ll have a separate section where they can add in things like if they want their stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc.,” she said.
Donations of cash and gift cards are always encouraged, but Linton says they are also looking for specific items.
“Where we might have difficulty is acquiring enough meat, and desserts,” she said, adding something sweet is especially important during the holidays. “We always find we want to have a pie, some chocolates or candy included for everybody.”
But those gifts of cash and gift cards can make a world of difference for the volunteers.
“We have a lot of clients that would be considered senior and considered food insecure all year long. We want to give them gift cards and keep them right out of the food bank for Christmas,” said Linton.
Linton said there were a few community groups already reaching out to help, and she mentioned local schools were also stepping up to the plate.
“We’ve had a few groups that have offered to help us,” she said. “And, St. Stephen Elementary School has already called us, and they have already pledged that each classroom is going to adopt a Christmas food item, so we are super happy about that.”
To see how your help can be most effective over the coming weeks, Linton encourages everyone to keep an eye on their Facebook page, as well as their newsletter for more updates.
Abby Cameron