| We say this every year, but it’s true…Christmas Hamper Party 2024 really was our best party ever! Not only did we fill 175 right-sized hampers, but we increased the value of the Fairways gift cards included for protein of choice, we helped the Salvation Army distribute toys on party day, and we delivered hampers and toys to those unable to collect them due to illness or disability. Summary: Elves mobilized in the fall Friday night set-up, phone calls and portioning in record time Saturday hamper-making and distribution went sooo smoothly 20 hampers delivered It was a party! Generous local business support Here’s a blow by blow recap of how we did it! The Elves Meet and Mobilize for ACTION… In early fall, the Elves began meeting virtually and in-person with High Point Community Church’s new Lieutenants Anjie and Tony DaSilva. It was essential to streamline our buying if we were going to beat the shocking rise in food prices. When the DaSilvas reminded us that many people don’t drink milk, we decided not to include it. Instead, we increased the value of Fairways’ gift cards to $35-50 per family to allow people to purchase what they like. We also eliminated stuffing mix and cranberry sauce; in our multicultural community, not everyone wants a traditional turkey dinner.  Armed with our new battle plan, Elf James Van Dam researched food prices to best allocate this year’s tight budget. The level of detailed planning involved was staggering! We worked closely with the Salvation Army. Once they let us know the size of every family we’d be feeding, James and Elf Paul MacDonald drew up a plethora of spreadsheets to calculate what we needed to buy, down to every apple and onion. Even after all that, we ended up doing a last-minute Friday night run for more carrots, potatoes and treats.Behind the scenes, Banker Elf Laura MacDonald was busy with her own spreadsheets, answering enquiries and keeping track of donations. Not to be undone in the list-o-mania department, Media Elf Dan Doherty plowed into updating our Mailchimp email list of almost 400 people. He fired off Punchbowl invitations and Mailchimp notices, created updated hamper flow plans for Party day. He and Paul updated our website www.christmashamperparty.org. Enterprising Elf Val Sharp rounded up business donations that landed us free coffee for all the hampers. Elf Joyce breathed a sigh of relief that her jobs were mercifully sans spreadsheets: arranging entertainment, crafting Pulitzer prize winning pleas for donations, and shamelessly hustling potential donors. Once bulk orders were placed on Party week, James and Paul organized the Friday pick-up of thousands of pounds of purchased and donated food to maximize use of our rented truck, so we’d be ready in time for… 7-9 pm Friday Night: PREP TIME! The Elves had barely arrived at the church when our guitarist Ian Johnston showed up to entertain us, quickly followed by our beloved long-time violinist Marjorie Cullerne. A call for silence, a quick intro by Joyce, and then Elf Dan laid out the evening’s work plan. Everyone dove into prepping supplies for Saturday’s hamper packing fueled on cookies and spurred on by Marjorie and Ian’s festive Christmas carols. Workers set up tables, posted signage, joined together to haul in produce in ‘firefighter-line’ style, then divvied up sacks of onions, carrots and potatoes, cartons of broccoli, apples and oranges. The smell of the oranges, and a 275-loaf mountain of fresh bread, filled the air. At other tables, bulk tea bags were measured out and tucked into cello gift bags. Cases of pies were opened and their contents arranged on tables ready for the next day. With so many thousands of pounds of food it took time just to open all the cartons! This year, our long time Queen of the Refreshment Table, Elf Rhona McAdam, lined up gardeners to haul away all our cardboard for weed control. Upstairs, in relative quiet, Elf Lisa Pacquin and her phone tree team painstakingly called all 175 people hamper recipients to confirm their Saturday pick up time, and to arrange delivery for those physically unable to collect their food. 9-11 a.m. Saturday: THE PARTY BEGINS!  Things kicked off with a bit of party history from Joyce, “To date we’ve filled an astounding 2,891 hampers…” Elf Dan then outlined the packing plan and demonstrated his ingenious Tetris system for packing goodies so the pie sits perfectly level on top. Experienced volunteers took their place at each station. Then it was ready, set, go! Marjorie and Ian played at one end of the hall; Rhona served refreshments at the other. In between, our well-oiled ‘machine’ churned out finished hampers. Smaller hampers went to needy singles: the elderly, disabled and students. The biggest hamper was for an extended family of 14! Each recipient got bread, butter, eggs, coffee, tea, carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli, oranges or apples, a pie, Coke, treats and a Fairways gift card for protein of choice ($25 for 1-2 people; $50 for 3 or more)–all topped with one of the sparkly fresh-cedar decorations that Elf Di Madill’s décor team was busily creating upstairs. We have decorated our hampers from the very first party, and we know from the Salvation Army that this added touch is truly meaningful to people. It’s sometimes the only decoration they have. One of this year’s volunteers accidentally delivered a hamper without its gift card. When he returned 20 minutes later with the missing card, the recipient had already hung her decoration on the front door in lieu of a wreath. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday: 175 HAMPERS GO OUT Upstairs, people began checking in for their hampers and gift cards. Party volunteers hauled finished hampers up the stairs, helped check people in for the toys and teenagers’ gift cards that the Salvation Army was distributing, and carried bags of goodies for the elderly and disabled. Elf Paul had worked out routes for delivery to those physically unable to make it to the church. Armed with addresses, food hampers and toys, our keen volunteer drivers set off. As always, it was…a Party!  Tireless Marjorie Cullerne was now upstairs with her violin, joined by Mary Ann Unrau on keyboards and Larissa Schumuk on flute. There were cookies, coffee and hot chocolate for people as they waited and our dear puppeteer Tim Gosley once again delighted kids, and kids at heart, with his beautiful puppet theatre and cheeky hand puppets.People were incredibly grateful to receive our help. In the course of the day we heard heart breaking stories of cancer and broken bones, felt for immigrants struggling to communicate in a new language, and watched shy children come out of their shell as they interacted with Tim’s puppets. All of us who donate to keep the party going are equally grateful for the opportunity to give to those who need it most. On Friday night, a volunteer who’s been to every party since 2001, pulled Joyce aside to share that a granddaughter, now 23, told her Christmas Hamper Party changed her view of Christmas forever. She now celebrates the season by volunteering for various charitable causes. Generous Local Business Sponsors We leave you with the incredible generosity of the businesses who gave above and beyond this year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the following donors. We hope you’ll patronize these wonderful community supporters:Caffe Fantastico Cassels Murray Family Law Coca Cola Fairways Markets Fernwood Dental Irene’s Bakery Island Eggs Island Farms Level Ground Coffee Mile Zero Coffee Portofino Bakery Root Cellar And thank you, Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, for advertising the Christmas Hamper Party! Happy Holidays to All! See you next year! — Joyce and Organizing Elves James van Dam, Paul MacDonald, Dan Doherty, Laura MacDonald, Lisa Paquin and Val Sharp |
The Victoria Christmas Hamper Party 