Tag Archives: Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

The local Celtic band Irish Tree – Mike Labonté, Olivier Leclerc and Frédéric Drouin – who performed during the 2024 VEQ Holiday Happy Hour, will be back at the Morrin Centre again on Dec. 3. The event is free of charge but please bring a donation of non-perishable food and/or cash for the “turkey tips” jar at the bar. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: CCHC fundraisers offer something for everyone

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN

CCHC fundraisers offer something for everyone

Submitted by members of the CCHC organizing committee

Thank you so much to all who are organizing a fundraiser to support the 30th annual Québec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign! Here’s what we know so far about what’s happening this year:

R.I.S.E. is holding a Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Jar Sale. Visit wejh.ca/cookie-mix-jars-sale for details on how to order yours now!

A Christmas Market was held at Saint Brigid’s Home on Nov. 27.

Voice of English-speaking Québec is holding its annual Holiday Happy Hour at the Morrin Centre on Dec. 3 from 5 – 7 p.m. Admission is free, but space is limited. Please register by calling or emailing Maria Hoyt at 418-683-2366, ext. 221, or maria.hoyt@veq.ca. If you can’t be there in person, please make an online donation at qchampers.ca.

Philip Goyer is running a 21-kilometre half-marathon in a Grinch suit in support of the CCHC on Dec. 6.

Voice of English-speaking Québec is also holding its Oh Deer! Holiday Dares challenge.

To find out more, follow the CCHC by liking our Facebook page (facebook.com/qchampers. ca) and by checking out the VEQ online events calendar (veq.ca/events) or the QCT Community Calendar (qctonline.com/event).

Would you like to help us fundraise with a special event in your circles? Please consult our Guide to Hosting a Third-Party Fundraising Event document available on our website (qchampers.ca) in PDF format.

Please also read our Brand Guidelines document. If you have any questions, contact us at info@jhpartners.net.

If you are planning a fundraiser, please also let us know at give@qchampers.ca so that we can help get the word out on our website and Facebook page.

The local Celtic band Irish Tree – Mike Labonté, Olivier Leclerc and Frédéric Drouin – who performed during the 2024 VEQ Holiday Happy Hour, will be back at the Morrin Centre again on Dec. 3. The event is free of charge but please bring a donation of non-perishable food and/or cash for the “turkey tips” jar at the bar. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)
Brigitte Wellens has been involved in the Québec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign for 10 years. You’ll find her at the volunteer drivers’ dispatch table once again this year. (Photo courtesy of Voice of English-speaking Quebec from QCT archives)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Hamper campaign is a tradition of giving, 30 years strong!

Community, QCT Online,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN Hamper campaign is a tradition of giving, 30 years strong! Submitted by Brigitte Wellens, executive director, Voice of English-speaking Quebec This year, as the Québec City…

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Michelle Osbourne, Catherine Hawker and Cathy Nolan of the Quebec City Reading Council are getting in the holiday spirit by helping the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Osborne)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Giving back to the community that gave back to me

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN

Giving back to the community that gave back to me

Submitted by Catherine Hawker, program manager, Quebec City reading council 

When my family and I first moved to Canada, it was during the pandemic, a time filled with uncertainty and adjustment. We were about to welcome our third child, and settling into a new country under those circumstances was not easy. Like many new families, we faced challenges as we tried to rebuild our lives far from home. During that difficult time, we were fortunate to receive support

from the Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. That generosity meant more than words could express; it gave us comfort, hope and a sense of belonging.

Now, a few years later, it feels deeply meaningful to be on the other side, to help give back to others who may find themselves in a similar situation.

At Quebec City Reading Council (QCRC), our mission has always been about community. Through our programs – from Early Learning Café and Travellin’ Toddler Time to Lifelong Learning – we connect people of all ages and walks of life through education, support and shared experiences. Being part of the Hamper Campaign aligns perfectly with who we are as an organization: a community rooted in compassion and committed to helping others thrive.

Each hamper represents more than food; it represents care, dignity and the reminder that no one in our community is alone. Seeing organizations, volunteers and donors come together to make the holidays brighter for others is truly heartwarming. It shows what is possible when we choose kindness.

You too can help make a difference. The Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign welcomes monetary donations, non-perishable food items and volunteers to help pack or deliver hampers. Every contribution, big or small, helps ensure that local families can celebrate the season with warmth and hope.

To learn more or to get involved, visit qchampers.ca. You can also follow the campaign on Facebook to see how our community is coming together this holiday season.

This year, I’m proud to give back to the same campaign that once gave so much to me.

Michelle Osbourne, Catherine Hawker and Cathy Nolan of the Quebec City Reading Council are getting in the holiday spirit by helping the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Osborne)
The 30th edition of the Quebec Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is officially underway, thanks to members of this year’s organizing committee, (back row) Catherine Hawker (Québec City Reading Council), Ange Victoire Itulinde (JH Partners), Mary Thaler (St. Michael’s), Nectaria Skokos (JH Partners), Emna Ben Salah (Jeffery Hale Community Services), and Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (JH Partners); (front row) Cassandra Quan-Collins (JH Partners), Shirley Nadeau (chairperson, Chalmers-Wesley United Church & QCT), Susan Doucet (volunteer) and Elise Holloway (JH Partners). Not in the photo are: Alain Patrick, Marie-Phillip St-Jacques (CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence), Andrée Lemieux (St. Patrick’s Church), Brigitte Wellens (VEQ), Ed Sweeney, Amanda Heath- Boulianne (CQSB), Hee-Won Son (Morrin Centre), Julie LeFloch (Saint Brigid’s Home), Lindsay Jarjour (Quebec Baptist Church), Maria Castro (EQLC), Moumy Diop, Eugênia Soares (SSEN), Rev. Katherine Burgess (St. Andrew’s & Communauté Chrétienne Béthanie) and Nicole Hamel (Église unie St-Pierre). (Photo by Steve Guimond courtesy of CCHC)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: The Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign marks its 30th year!

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: The Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign marks its 30th year!

Submitted by the CCHC organizing committee

The Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign (CCHC) is now underway and is marking its 30th edition!

Please help us to “deliver some goodness” by giving to this wonderful community initiative before Dec. 20 in the following ways:

•Make a financial donation: Write a cheque, give cash or donate online towards the $50,000 annual objective. Funds are used to buy fresh produce and other goods to supplement donated items. You can mail a paper cheque or donate online at qchampers.ca using our easy and secure online donation form. Try scanning our handy QR code in the print edition of the QCT.

• Donate food: Drop off non- perishable food at one of several sites around town, including at VEQ’s Holiday Happy Hour at the Morrin Centre on Wednesday, Dec. 3. Check best-before dates before donating food. No expired, homemade, used or opened items, please.

• Volunteer: Help collect, sort and pack food and deliver the hampers to households in need. For details about how you can con- tribute, please visit qchampers.ca, email give@qchampers.ca or call Hamper Headquarters at 418-684-5333, ext. 11835. Follow the Hamper Campaign Facebook page to see how the community is supporting this initiative, and share your fundraisers.

About the Campaign

Since 1995, the Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign (qchampers.ca) has been delivering goodness to over 250 homes in the greater Quebec City region at Christmas time. The organizing committee of this huge annual initiative is composed of representatives from 18 organizations from the local English-speaking community. Heartfelt thanks to you—our donors, volunteers and numerous partners—for your unwavering devotion to this act of kindness toward those in need.

The 30th edition of the Quebec Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is officially underway, thanks to members of this year’s organizing committee, (back row) Catherine Hawker (Québec City Reading Council), Ange Victoire Itulinde (JH Partners), Mary Thaler (St. Michael’s), Nectaria Skokos (JH Partners), Emna Ben Salah (Jeffery Hale Community Services), and Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (JH Partners); (front row) Cassandra Quan-Collins (JH Partners), Shirley Nadeau (chairperson, Chalmers-Wesley United Church & QCT), Susan Doucet (volunteer) and Elise Holloway (JH Partners). Not in the photo are: Alain Patrick, Marie-Phillip St-Jacques (CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence), Andrée Lemieux (St. Patrick’s Church), Brigitte Wellens (VEQ), Ed Sweeney, Amanda Heath- Boulianne (CQSB), Hee-Won Son (Morrin Centre), Julie LeFloch (Saint Brigid’s Home), Lindsay Jarjour (Quebec Baptist Church), Maria Castro (EQLC), Moumy Diop, Eugênia Soares (SSEN), Rev. Katherine Burgess (St. Andrew’s & Communauté Chrétienne Béthanie) and Nicole Hamel (Église unie St-Pierre). (Photo by Steve Guimond courtesy of CCHC)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Community Christmas Hamper Campaign delivers the goods!

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Community Christmas Hamper Campaign delivers the goods!

“Santa” (Bert Pelletier) and his “elves” – loading crew supervisor Derek White (left), Community Christmas Hamper Campaign volunteer co-ordinator Elise Holloway (right, wearing Santa hat) and members of the loading crew and delivery volunteers (back row) Françis Breau, Jewel Fink and Steve Byrnes – help load boxed sets of Christmas Hampers into volunteers’ “sleighs” at Santa’s workshop (Eastern Québec Learning Centre) on Delivery Day, Dec. 21. We extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped us to deliver goodness to some 280 households this year. A special thank you message to donors will appear in a February 2025 edition of the QCT. Donations can still be made at qchampers.ca to help the campaign reach its $50,000 fundraising goal. Donations can also be mailed to Community Christmas Hamper Campaign, c/o Jeffery Hale Community Partners, 2000-1270 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, QC G1S 2M4. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)
The local Celtic band Irish Tree – Mike Labonté, Olivier Leclerc and Frédéric Drouin – performed during the VEQ Holiday Happy Hour. CBC Québec was also there to encourage attendees and listeners to “Share some joy and make the season kind.” (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: VEQ Holiday Happy Hour supports Christmas Hamper Campaign

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: VEQ Holiday Happy Hour supports Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

Shirley Nadeau

shirley@qctonline.com

The Community Christmas Hamper Campaign (CCHC) was the “star” of the annual Holiday Happy Hour hosted by Voice of English-speaking Québec (VEQ) at the Morrin Centre on Dec. 4.

Those who attended appreciated the opportunity to get together with friends during the prelude to the holiday season while also raising money for the CCHC which helps feed families in need over the holidays. In addition to receiving a chance to win a cheery houseplant door prize, attendees were encouraged to leave some “turkey tips” as they purchased a drink at the bar and raffle tickets for a host of gifts contributed by sponsors such as CBC Radio. There was a tasty buffet as well as delicious hot hors-d’oeuvres which were passed around by VEQ volunteers who were there to welcome attendees and prepare and serve food. 

Local Celtic music trio Irish Tree made spirits bright with trad-Québécois interpretations of seasonal holiday songs.

Brigitte Wellens, executive director of VEQ and spokesperson for the CCHC, said, “Some of our challenges this year – and there always seem to be one or two – are increased requests for a hamper, rising food costs and of course, the postal strike. Online donations are a better option than ever, but you can always deliver your cheque in person to the reception counter of the Wellness Centre in the Jeffery Hale Pavilion at 1270, chemin Sainte-Foy from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Be sure to put your cheque in an envelope and write Community Christmas Hamper Campaign on it.”

Wellens added, “There is a 15 per cent increase in the demand from recipients this year, almost 270, some from people who have never requested a hamper before who are asking for a hamper now, even from people who have full-time jobs or newcomers who just came here but can’t access francisation classes or can’t find a job.

But I think the community will come together and we’ll make it happen. There are challenges but we have good traction. The International Lunch was very well attended. Every little bit helps!”

Visit the CCHC website at qchampers.ca to donate to the campaign and learn about other upcoming fundraising events.

Disclosure: QCT assistant copy editor Shirley Nadeau is also a member of the CCHC organizing committee and has been the chair of the committee for the past 14 years.

Debbie Hynes and Andrea Stanford of CBC Québec and Brigitte Wellens, executive director of Voice of English-speaking Québec and campaign spokesperson, enjoy the Holiday Happy Hour held at the Morrin Centre on Dec. 4. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)
The local Celtic band Irish Tree – Mike Labonté, Olivier Leclerc and Frédéric Drouin – performed during the VEQ Holiday Happy Hour. CBC Québec was also there to encourage attendees and listeners to “Share some joy and make the season kind.” (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)
Meb Reisner and Gina Klassen enjoy their Indian lunch at the Eastern Québec Learning Centre. Some 60 people attended the event, which raised funds for the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. (Photo by Hugh Glassco)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: International Lunch supports CCHC

Community, Features, Photo features, QCT Online,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: International Lunch supports CCHC Photos by Shirley Nadeau and Hugh Glassco…

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Brigitte Wellens is shown at the Delivery Day dispatch table at Hamper Headquarters – her usual spot – on Delivery Day in 2018. (Photo courtesy of CCHC)

The Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is more important than ever

Community, QCT Online,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN The Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is more important than ever Submitted by Brigitte Wellens, executive director of Voice of English-speaking Quebec and member of the Hamper…

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Viktoria Poulin-Gareau, Susanna Tang, Yanti Zhang and María (Mili) Castro gather around a Christmas tree in Place Royale. (Photo submitted by Maria Castro)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Community effort delivers hampers of hope

Community, QCT Online,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Community effort delivers hampers of hope Submitted by Maria (Mili) Castro, SARCA agent at the Eastern Québec learning centre and member of the Hamper Campaign organizing…

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Members of the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign organizing committee pose for a photo during a recent meeting: (back row): Rev. Katherine Burgess (St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church), Audrey Kelly (Jeffery Hale Community Services), Maria Castro (Eastern Québec Learning Centre), Shirley Nadeau (campaign chairperson, Chalmers-Wesley United Church & QCT), Mary Thaler (St. Michael’s Anglican Church), Nectaria Skokos (JH Partners), Alain Patrick (CEGEP Champlain–St. Lawrence); (front row): Andrée Lemieux (St. Patrick’s Church), Lindsay Jarjour (Quebec Baptist Church), Susan Doucet (community volunteer), Elise Holloway (JH Partners), Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (JH Partners), Manuela Flores Denti (Morrin Centre). Absent when photo was taken: Brigitte Wellens (campaign spokesperson, Voice of English-speaking Québec), Kim Garrity (CBC), Duncan Smith, Derek White, Nancy Boulanger & Julie Le Floch (Saint Brigid’s Home), Rev. Darla Sloan (Église Unie St-Pierre et Pinguet), Ed Sweeney (Central Québec School Board), Chantal Lafrenière (Fraser Recovery Program), Olena Peleshok (MCDC). (Photo by Céline Lebigot-Poirier courtesy of the CCHC)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Give to the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign and help deliver some goodness this holiday season

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN

Give to the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign and help deliver some goodness this holiday season

Submitted by Brigitte Wellens, campaign spokesperson

The 29th Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is now underway! Please help us “deliver some goodness” by giving to this wonderful community initiative before Dec. 21 in the following ways:

Donate: Write a cheque, give cash or donate online toward the $50,000 annual objective. Funds buy fresh produce and other goods to supplement donated items. You can mail a cheque or donate online using our easy and secure form. Try scanning our handy QR code.

Give food: Drop off non-perishable food at one of several sites around town, including at the Voice of English-speaking Québec Holiday Happy Hour at the Morrin Centre on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Check best-before dates before donating food. No expired, homemade, used or opened items, please.

Volunteer: Help collect, sort and pack food, and deliver the hampers to homes in need.

For details about how you can contribute, please visit qchampers.ca, send an email to give@qchampers.ca, or call Hamper Headquarters at 418- 684-5333, ext. 11835. Follow the Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign Facebook page to see how the community is supporting this initiative and share your fundraisers.

About the Campaign

Since 1995, the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign has been delivering good- ness to over 200 homes in the Greater Quebec City region at Christmas time. The organiz- ing committee of this huge annual initiative is composed of representatives from 18 organizations from the local English-speaking community.

Heartfelt thanks to you – our donors, volunteers and numerous partners – for your unwavering devotion to this act of kindness toward those in need.

Members of the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign organizing committee pose for a photo during a recent meeting: (back row): Rev. Katherine Burgess (St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church), Audrey Kelly (Jeffery Hale Community Services), Maria Castro (Eastern Québec Learning Centre), Shirley Nadeau (campaign chairperson, Chalmers-Wesley United Church & QCT), Mary Thaler (St. Michael’s Anglican Church), Nectaria Skokos (JH Partners), Alain Patrick (CEGEP Champlain–St. Lawrence); (front row): Andrée Lemieux (St. Patrick’s Church), Lindsay Jarjour (Quebec Baptist Church), Susan Doucet (community volunteer), Elise Holloway (JH Partners), Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (JH Partners), Manuela Flores Denti (Morrin Centre). Absent when photo was taken: Brigitte Wellens (campaign spokesperson, Voice of English-speaking Québec), Kim Garrity (CBC), Duncan Smith, Derek White, Nancy Boulanger & Julie Le Floch (Saint Brigid’s Home), Rev. Darla Sloan (Église Unie St-Pierre et Pinguet), Ed Sweeney (Central Québec School Board), Chantal Lafrenière (Fraser Recovery Program), Olena Peleshok (MCDC). (Photo by Céline Lebigot-Poirier courtesy of the CCHC)
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