From flying toys to children across the territory to stuffing buses and filling Fords, organizations across the N.W.T. are getting into gear to help those in need. With the winter season shifting in, Santa’s spirit of giving is growing stronger, courtesy of the Salvation Army and community partners including Northwestel and Buffalo Airways! The local airway is flying toys across the NWT for free. Companies and organizations like Lakeshore Co-op, Tenaquip, Summit Air, Signed (and 100.1 FM) are working with local food banks and soup kitchens to support households in need through holiday food drives.
Tony Brushett, exec director of the Yellowknife Salvation Army says Santa is also scheduled to pay a visit to the local Thrift store in Yellowknife on Saturday Dec. 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., where children can bring their letter and drop it will Santa – and “he will answer” too.
People can also contact Brushett directly at the Salvation army for more information on how to sign up to receive toys for children and for the Christmas food hampers. Registration is open until Dec. 3.
Anyone who would like to make a toy donation can drop the toy off at Northwestel’s store on Franklin Ave in Yellowknife. Brushett says that the toys most needed are toys for infants and teens, who seem to get overlooked with most donations coming in geared at youth in the middle years between.
Holiday food drive season is beginning in the territory’s main hubs including in the city of Yellowknife and in Hay River.
On Thursday, Yellowknife’s main food bank, which is run through the Salvation Army opened five drop off locations in the city for their annual holiday Christmas kettles food drive.
The organization’s annual Christmas Kettle campaign just completed their first week of five weeks.
“After the first week, we have raised, $7,218.80. We have $39,781.20 to go over the next 4 weeks.We want to thank those who have donated, in helping us ensure that about 500 families have Christmas meals and toys for their children this year,” said Brushett.
The 20th annual Stuff the Bus campaign is happening at the Lakeshore Co-op in Yellownife on Nov. 29 and the Fill a Ford event is happening in Hay River on Dec. 6.
Nelson explained that 100.1 FM has been organizing the event in Yellownife for a number of years together with the Lakeshore Co-op for the Salvation Army.
This year, the drive is being organized by Signed and 100.1 FM along with the Lakeshore Co-op who joins to host another food drive at their location in Hay River. After over 10 years, the campaign there continues with 100.1 FM in partnership with Tenaquip and Summit Air for the Hay River Soup Kitchen.
Jeff Kincaid, the Lakeshore Co-Op’s business development manager said that “the number one focus” of the Lakeshore Co-op is “giving back” to communities and “helping with food hunger.”
“We’re very excited to be down in Hay River and put the efforts of the Co-op behind helping out Hay River through these holiday drives and making sure that we can help anybody who needs some help during that time,” said Kincaid.
On the day of the food drive, the hampers will be available for purchase and donation.
“What we do is we have hampers that are made up for our members, our customers that come into the store or various businesses throughout town And they can purchase these hampers that I believe they’re $30 a piece,” explained Nelson.
“We’ll have a bus in the parking lot and the whole idea is to sell as many hampers as possible and fill up that bus. We’ve done a very good job of that over the years. Again, we have a great membership that always seems to come to step up to the plate when it comes to feeding the homeless or the needy,” added Nelson.
During the holiday season, it’s custom for folks across the territory to help each other, especially as the cold weather comes in. People have extra bills to pay for fuel and to heat their homes. This can make the holidays and the winter season more challenging especially for families and individuals who are already struggling.
“We’re going into sort of our festive holiday season, and it’s good to just sort of give back to those who are having some trouble and going through hard times,” said Nelson.
“Over the years, these are very well attended,” added Nelson.
This will be the Lakeshore Co-op’s first year participating in the Fill a Ford event in Hay River, since they opened the new store in town.
“It’s all about giving back to people in need,” said Nelson.
“When we look at Lakeshore Co-op in Yellowknife and in Hay River, we’re part of the community. And that means we’re there to help those parts of that community as well. We’re doing our best to be leaders in the community and and help those that might be a little bit down on their luck,” added Nelson.
To prepare for the events, the organization is ordering non-perishable food items which will be packed into donation bags by volunteers.
“Volunteers come in to help us pack the hampers up and then they come in on the next day to meet and greet with the members, discuss the food drive with them, while we’re selling hampers and help get those hampers donated to the people in need,” said Nelson.
While many organization have cut back on donations due to increased costs Kincaid said that this has not been the case with the Lakeshore Co-op.
“External pressures like that wouldn’t deter us from what we do. As a Co-operative, all the shareholders of our business, like all the people who own our business, are the people that walk up and down our aisles and shop in our stores. So we don’t have shareholders somewhere else that we’re sending money to. The only thing that we do is support this community. The reason Co-ops come to communities is to help the people there to supply goods and services that maybe weren’t being supplied before. And so there’s nothing that we do other than help the community. So external pressures, whether it be taxes or tariffs, or policies that are that are negatively effecting the food supply in this country – those don’t affect us giving back. We’re here to give back,” said Kincaid.
Last month, the Lakeshore Co-op donated nearly 4,000 kg of food to Food Rescue, said Nelson. The food goes to local organizations, including the Salvation Army and the Yellowknife Women’s Society, among other organizations who distribute the food to those in need.
This included 331 kg of produce, 657 kg of meat, 1400 kg of dairy and 1400 kg dry goods as well as 10 kg of pet food.
And that was for their Yellowknife location alone.
Folks who would like to take part in the drive are also welcome to bring in their own non perishable food items for the food drives taking place at the Lakeshore Co-op in Yellowknife on Nov. 29 and in Hay River on Dec. 6.
The Christmas food hamper donations are being collected in Yellowknife at five different locations including Canadian Tire, the Lakeshore Co-op in Yellowknife, the Liquor Store locations (uptown and downtown) and Walmart.
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