Every Christmas, since 2014, Red Willow Community Church (RWCC) has strived to be a beacon of hope in the St. Albert community with the Christmas Hamper program. The community partnership with local schools and teachers has provided RWCC with names of struggling families, as these are the frontline workers who know first hand the genuine needs.
Christmas can be an extremely stressful time of year under the best of circumstances. The last thing that families should be worrying about is where their next meal is coming from or how disappointed the children will be to miss out on holiday festivities. The goal for RWCC’s Christmas Hamper program is to ensure that these families receive appropriate help and support.
Each hamper includes a family game, a box of cookies or chocolates, and a gift certificate that can be redeemed for groceries that the family might need.
Also included in each hamper is an age-appropriate gift for each child in the family, as well as a small gift for the moms or dads in a single-parent household.
The need for RWCC’s Christmas Hamper program has increased steadily over the years. In the first year, RWCC prepared and delivered 25 hampers to St. Albert families in need. During the 2018 Christmas season, 99 hampers were delivered. This program has been a blessing, not only to families in need within St. Albert but to the hundreds of RWCC volunteers who come out each year to prepare and deliver the hampers.
Following the 2018 Christmas season, RWCC’s Christmas Hamper fund was depleted. Church members, despite the struggles due to the down-turn in the economy, have continued to contribute to the fund throughout the year and have been able to put aside $4700.00 for this worthy project.
However, the changes in Alberta’s economy have also seen the need for the Christmas Hamper program in our community increase. In order to make sure this program is able to continue, RWCC needs to raise $25,000.00 by the end of November. The church is reaching out to the community in order to make this a reality.
Red Willow Community Church does not want to have to close the doors on the Christmas Hamper program that has been a beacon of hope for so many families who would not have had a Christmas otherwise. For the first time since the Christmas Hamper program began, RWCC is now accepting monetary donations from individuals or businesses outside of our church community who share the vision of caring for those in need within the St. Albert community.
EVERY SINGLE PENNY DONATED GOES DIRECTLY TO SUPPLIES FOR THE HAMPERS.
RWCC is a registered charity and as a result, donations made to the Christmas Hamper program, through the church, qualify for tax receipts. Cash or cheque donations can be dropped off at the church office (name and address need to be provided in order to issue a tax receipt). Alternatively, donations can be made through our online giving program (Adventist Giving). Once on the website, locate “Christmas Hampers” in the list of options under the category “Local Church”, indicate the amount you would like to donate, and then click continue at the bottom of the page.
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