Tag Archives: Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Reflections on the Season of Giving

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COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Reflections on the Season of Giving

Submitted by Cindy Joyce Djamen, Quebec Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

Ho, Ho, Ho everyone! This is the most exciting time of the year, Christmas! I grew up in Cameroon. With great joy and anticipation, my family would decorate the house and prepare the menu and guest list in advance. Toys were not among our gifts. The simple acts of reuniting with our loved ones, playing games, laughing and eating our favourite meals together until 2 a.m. were enough. 

The best aspect of that time of year was giving back to others. We would buy fresh food and donate it to orphanages. We also made sure not to forget to invite a Muslim friend or neighbour to join us in our home to celebrate the joy of the season. It was all about acceptance and love. 

When I arrived at the Eastern Québec Learning Centre, I wasn’t sure what to expect. In my new role as reception, referral, counselling and support project development officer, I was invited to replace my predecessor on the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign organizing committee. In my experience so far, the campaign is wonderful. It is beautiful to see the various religious denominations, schools and community organizations uniting to help households in need. 

I called a woman who received a hamper last year to tell her she was eligible to receive one again this Christmas. She told me, “I am in a better place this year. Mentally, I feel good, and although I am not rich, I would like to volunteer instead of receiving this year.” I also had the opportunity to offer a hamper to a father of five children who is back at school full-time. He told me, “Times are not easy right now money-wise, but we can eat properly, so I would rather volunteer to help others who are in greater need.” It was heartwarming to hear.

For details about how you can contribute, visit qchampers.ca, email 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.

I am very glad to be part of this community initiative and to witness honesty, compassion, and understanding for Christmas. I wish you a beautiful Christmas, full of hope.

Cindy Joyce Djamen is shown celebrating her very first Christmas in Cameroon. (Photo courtesy of Cindy Joyce Djamen)
Members of the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign organizing committee gather for a group photo during a recent meeting. Gathered around the table are Lindsay Jarjour, Anne Martineau, Rodolfo Condal, Anthony Arata, Rev. Katherine Burgess, Susan Doucet, Shirley Nadeau, Elise Holloway and Nectaria Skokos. In the Zoom window are Ed Sweeney, Julie Le Floch, Andrée Lemieux, Nancy Boulanger and Brigitte Wellens. Not in the photo are Andrew Ayre, Moumy Diop, Djamen Cindy Joyce, Raphaëlle Verge, Vincent Laliberté, Rev. Darla Sloan and Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (who was behind the camera). (Photo by Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac)

Community Christmas Hamper Campaign gears up for a 28th year

Community,

Community Christmas Hamper Campaign gears up for a 28th year

Submitted by the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

The 28th Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is now underway! Please help us deliver some goodness by giving to this wonderful community initiative before Dec. 16 in the following ways:

Donate: Write a cheque, give cash or donate online toward our $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 online do- nation form. Try scanning our handy QR code below or in the print edition.

Food: Drop off non-perishable food at one of several sites around town or at VEQ’s Holiday Happy Hour at the Morrin Centre on Dec. 12. 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, email 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 fundraising events.

About the Campaign

Since 1995, the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign has been delivering goodness to over 200 homes in the Greater Quebec City region at Christmastime. 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.

Members of the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign organizing committee gather for a group photo during a recent meeting. Gathered around the table are Lindsay Jarjour, Anne Martineau, Rodolfo Condal, Anthony Arata, Rev. Katherine Burgess, Susan Doucet, Shirley Nadeau, Elise Holloway and Nectaria Skokos. In the Zoom window are Ed Sweeney, Julie Le Floch, Andrée Lemieux, Nancy Boulanger and Brigitte Wellens. Not in the photo are Andrew Ayre, Moumy Diop, Djamen Cindy Joyce, Raphaëlle Verge, Vincent Laliberté, Rev. Darla Sloan and Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (who was behind the camera). (Photo by Jean-Sébastien Jolin-Gignac)

Community Christmas Hamper Campaign wraps up another success

Community,

Community Christmas Hamper Campaign wraps up another success

Submitted by Katherine Burgess, CCHC Committee Member

It was once again a real pleasure to work with the dedicated volunteers who give so much of their time to the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. This year’s campaign was a little bittersweet, as we missed one of our longest-serving members – Bill Donnelly (1939-2022). Committee members decided to dedicate this year’s campaign to his memory, and I am sure that we all felt his presence, no matter what we were doing – meeting in person or via Zoom, making and packing boxes, delivering hampers and just being together. He was very much missed.

This year, we had approximately 130 volunteers as well as our regular drivers from Canada Post. Jeffery Hale and Voice of English-speaking Québec (VEQ) employees gave countless hours to make sure that everything ran smoothly, but this could not have happened without our many volunteers. We were delighted to welcome volunteers from Quebec Baptist Church, Club Rotaract de Québec, St. Vincent Elementary School PPO, CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence, RISE Program participants and educators and students from the Quebec High School Work-oriented Training Path (WOTP) and Challenges programs. We had volunteers of all ages, doing everything from making sure that recipients knew of the campaign, to packing the hampers to delivering them. The members of the organizing committee thank each and every one of you.

This year we helped over 200 households, which is impressive. It is also a little sad that in this day and age, so many people still need this help, but it is good to know that as long as there is a need, we will be here to meet it.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have not been able to do our regular food drive. This meant, of course, that we needed to raise funds to purchase all of our supplies. Citizens and corporations stepped up, however, and we surpassed our original goal of $50,000. Thank you to everyone who donated!

Some groups went above and beyond when it came to helping us out. The Eastern Québec Learning Centre (EQLC), in addition to holding a fundraising activity, generously allowed us the use of space in the gym as well as a couple of classrooms. Jeffery Hale Community Partners, Jeffery Hale Community Services and VEQ provided support in ways too numerous to mention. Special thanks also go out to our suppliers – Bo-Fruits, Construction Dinamo Inc., Emballages L.P. Aubut Inc., IGA Poulin and Nutri-Œuf: Ovale Eggs’ South Shore branch.

We would particularly like to thank Everest Elementary School for food donations, Ste-Foy Elementary Cycle 3 students for handmade Christmas cards and Holland Elementary School for treat bags for each hamper.

Every year, there are specific fundraisers which really help us tremendously, and this year was no exception. Here is a list of fundraisers which both organizers and participants greatly enjoyed:

• Draw at the Holiday Run-Around & Fun event by the Wellness Centre

• Holiday Happy Hour by VEQ and the Morrin Centre

• “Howliday” cute pets photo contest and Merry Face-off staff dares challenge by VEQ

• Jeffery Hale Community Services staff auction and jar sales

• Pound for a Claus! Pound® Class event by Vivian Yatabe and friends

• Sales of Fun Jars Cookie Mix jars by the RISE Program

• Sales of gift boxes filled with local and regional products by EQLC

• Staff Jeans Day, and jewelry, soup jar and Christmas sales at Saint Brigid’s Home, with items donated by Saint Brigid’s Guild

And a huge thank you to you, the public, for your continued generosity in supporting this annual campaign. Without you, we could not have done it, and because of you, many people had a merrier Christmas.

Volunteers assembled and filled over 700 boxes with Christmas goodness for the 2022 campaign. Thank you for helping us reach our fundraising goal to fill the hundreds of “hampers” that were delivered on Dec. 17. Bill “the Box Man” Donnelly is seventh from the right in this 2018 photo. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)
Volunteers Lorna Gailis and Mary Robertson help assemble the hundreds of boxes to be filled with groceries for the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign in the gymnasium of the Eastern Québec Learning Centre on Dec. 14. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)

PHOTOS: Community Christmas Hamper Campaign volunteers deliver the goods!

Community, Features, Photo features,

PHOTOS: Community Christmas Hamper Campaign volunteers deliver the goods!

Photos submitted by Shirley Nadeau for CCHC

Volunteers Lorna Gailis and Mary Robertson help assemble the hundreds of boxes to be filled with groceries for the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign in the gymnasium of the Eastern Québec Learning Centre on Dec. 14. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)
Andrew Ayre, Jean- Sébastien Jolin-Gignac (in the background) and Susan Doucet are setting up the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign “grocery store” on Dec. 15. Food delivered to the Eastern Québec Learning Centre is unpacked and put on the tables. Volunteers then go around with the boxes (on wheeled tables) to be filled for each household before they are delivered by volunteer drivers on Dec. 17. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)
Delivery Day! Volunteer drivers Gary Craig and Andrea Craig help Santa (Allan Offer) deliver the goods on Dec. 17. Hundreds of boxes of groceries are packed inside the Eastern Québec Learning Centre, and bags of frozen meats are lined up outdoors (so they won’t thaw before being delivered) before being placed in drivers’ vehicles to be delivered to recipients. Thank you to everyone who helped with this year’s 27th annual Community Christmas Hamper Campaign! (Photo by Shirley Nadeau)
Volunteers will be assembling and filling over 700 boxes with Christmas goodness for this year’s campaign. Please help us reach our fundraising goal to fill these hundreds of “hampers” that will be delivered on Dec. 17. Bill “the Box Man” Donnelly is seventh from the right in this 2018 photo. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)

Delivery Day countdown begins for the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

Community,

Delivery Day countdown begins for the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign

Submitted by Shirley Nadeau, chair of the CCHC organizing committee

Boxes ordered – ✓

Food ordered – ✓

Volunteers recruited – ✓

These three vital elements of the 27th annual Community Christmas Hamper Campaign (CCHC) are well in hand. Members of the organizing committee have double-checked their lists to be sure they haven’t missed anyone in need of some special loving care during this season of giving.

Volunteers will gather at the Eastern Québec Learning Centre on Dec. 14, 15 and 16 to assemble hundreds of boxes and fill them with dry goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, eggs, bread and frozen meats that will be delivered by more volunteers to close to 200 households on Dec. 17.

Fundraising to purchase the food to fill the boxes is going very well, with over 60 per cent of our $50,000 goal attained as of Dec. 9. We extend a huge Thank You! to everyone who has donated thus far. The names of all donors will be recognized in a special ad that will appear in the Jan. 25 edition of the QCT.

If you have not yet contributed to this worthy cause to help less fortunate members of the English-speaking community enjoy a festive meal during the holidays, it’s not too late! For information on how you can help, see the details on the ad on this page and visit the CCHC website at qchampers.ca to make a donation.

This year’s campaign is dedicated to the memory of the late Bill Donnelly, who devoted many years of service to finding the perfect boxes for the annual Community Christmas Hamper Campaign.

Volunteers will be assembling and filling over 700 boxes with Christmas goodness for this year’s campaign. Please help us reach our fundraising goal to fill these hundreds of “hampers” that will be delivered on Dec. 17. Bill “the Box Man” Donnelly is seventh from the right in this 2018 photo. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Contribute to the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign in creative and fun ways

Community,

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS HAMPER CAMPAIGN: Contribute to the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign in creative and fun ways

Submitted by Andrew Ayre, Program Support Agent, Jeffery Hale Community Partners

The 27th annual Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is well underway! I am well-placed to know, having recently jumped into the campaign with both feet as part of my new role as program support agent with Jeffery Hale Community Partners, replacing Ellie Fleming, who has moved to the Outaouais region. Best wishes to Ellie, with thanks for her years of tireless engagement in our community.

In the past couple of weeks, I have learned so much about JH Partners and the Wellness Centre that we co-manage, as well as the logistics behind the scenes of the Hamper Campaign in which JH Partners plays a key co-ordination role.

I’d like to pass along a message from Elise Holloway, volunteer co-ordinator, that the drivers’ team volunteer roster is now complete. You can still put your name on the backup list in case a driver or their helper becomes unavailable at the last minute. To do so, please email her at eholloway@jhpartners. net or call her at 418-684-5333, ext. 11948.

Never fear! There are plenty of ways to contribute to the campaign other than volunteering. Of course, we thank you for making a monetary donation by scanning the QR code in the fundraising thermometer ad (see page 3 of the print edition) or visiting qchampers.ca/#donate.

You can also check out the great fundraisers being organized by the community. Below is a list of those that are planned to date:

• Voice of English-speaking Québec and Morrin Centre Holiday Happy Hour (Dec. 13)

• Fun Jars cookie mix in a mason jar from the RISE Program

• Pound for a Claus! Pound® Class event (Dec. 4, tickets available on Event- brite)

• Gift boxes from the Eastern Québec Learning Centre (EQLC) filled with local and regional products

• VEQ “Howliday” cute pets photo contest

• VEQ Merry Face-off staff dares challenge

Be sure to visit qchampers.ca/#fundraising for updates and follow the campaign on Facebook.

It is so impressive to see this campaign unfold, and I feel privileged to now be a direct part of this well-oiled machine. Please get in touch with me if you have any questions at aayre@jhpartners.net or by calling 418-684-5333, ext. 11805. I look forward to meeting you in person, perhaps at Hamper Headquarters at EQLC on Dec. 17 or at the Wellness Centre (in the Jeffery Hale Pavilion) in the year to come.

Andrew Ayre is excited about his involvement in the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. (Photo courtesy of the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign)
Slipper (the cat) is home for the “howlidays.” Maria Hoyt shows off her furry friend and you can do the same while supporting the Quebec City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. (Photo by Maria Hoyt)
The Community Christmas Hamper Campaign, especially Santa and his little helpers, are glad to be back home at the Eastern Québec Learning Centre this year. His sleigh is awfully full, however, and he would welcome some help with the deliveries. (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)

Wondering how you can help Santa?

Community, QCT Online,

Wondering how you can help Santa? Submitted by Diane Kameen, communications advisor, Jeffery Hale Community Partners/Wellness Centre The Community Christmas Hamper Campaign could still use a couple of volunteers for…

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A Mason jar filled with the basic ingredients for chocolate chip cookies makes a great Christmas gift. (Photo courtesy of Jeffery Hale Community Partners)

Help RISE raise funds for the Christmas Hamper Campaign

Community, QCT Online,

Help RISE raise funds for the Christmas Hamper Campaign Submitted by Diane Kameen Members of the RISE program are busy assembling Mason jars filled with the basic ingredients to make…

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