House of Friendship in need of 200 volunteers to help with holiday hamper delivery
CBC
The House of Friendship is in need of a few hundred volunteers to help out in its Christmas hamper program this year.
In total, the organization is recruiting 500 volunteers to deliver hampers to families the weekend of Dec. 11 and volunteers are needed to help out at four distribution sites between Dec. 8 and Dec. 17.
This year, House of Friendship expext to support approximately 4,600 families in Kitchener-Waterloo through the program, similar to last year's numbers, said Jennifer Scott, the group's volunteer manager.
Spots to volunteer on Dec. 11 and at the distribution sites are all booked up, but there is still room for 200 volunteers to deliver hampers Dec. 12, Scott said, adding that each hamper includes a grocery gift card and a frozen protein item like a turkey, ham or halal meat.
Scott said she's confident they will get the volunteers they need, if not more.
"We never struggle to find volunteers this time of the year," she said, noting that pre-pandemic the program would normally have 1,500 volunteers participate.
"Finding 500 is not a problem in this generous community."
Those who wish to volunteer will need to show proof of vaccination, Scott adds. Hampers are also delivered by pairs of volunteers and Scott said they are asking that volunteers partner with people from the same bubble or household.
"All routes are delivered with two people and both of those volunteers must sign up online to register," she said.
"We will give [volunteers] route cards, which will tell them where they need to go to deliver the gift cards and turkeys and they'll deliver to about seven families."
The program's distribution sites will be set up in the parking lot of four different churches this year. Community members who register can drive through to pick up their hamper or pick it up on foot.
Scott said families in need can sign up online to receive a hamper until Nov. 30.
"However, if anyone misses that deadline, they can always give us a phone call and we can offer them some support," Scott said.
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