Christmas Hampers

A well-loved and much-supported Christmas Hamper project has recently made its way under the Réseau Compassion Network banner. The volunteer-run initiative, which used to be managed out of St. Boniface Cathedral Parish, has been bringing light and love to families over the holidays for nearly 30 years.

Rachel LeGal has been involved as a volunteer for a long time; long enough for her children to have grown up and begun bringing their own children to help with basket-making. “My daughter started helping at 6 years old,” she shares. “It’s just a part of Christmas for us, and there are a lot of adults around who have been involved with this for their whole lives. It’s something really special.”

Across the decades, the needs of families have changed, as has the number of families who could benefit from a little extra generosity at Christmas. “This year, we’re aiming to deliver to 209 families, which is 40 more than last year. It’s a bit intimidating, but we never turn anyone down and we always find a way!” says LeGal with her trademark enthusiasm.

LeGal and the other volunteers work with some schools in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine as well as Louis Riel school Division, mainly in and around the Saint-Boniface district, to identify families who might benefit from a hamper. “The schools are welcoming students and families from countries all over the world, including places like the Ukraine,” explains LeGal. “There’s been an influx of new arrivals to the country, and we want them to feel welcome and supported.”

Once families have been selected, volunteers contact them to see what kind of gifts or household items would be appreciated, a personalized list which is then provided to any person or group who wants to sponsor a basket. “We’ve got some guidelines in place to make this easier for folks to contribute,” LeGal continues. “A family of two would get a basket worth about $200, and the more people in the family, the higher the amount. We include gifts for the kids, chosen according to their wishes, and maybe a little something for mom and dad, plus a gift card to No Frills or Superstore so they can buy the type of Christmas meal that’s best for them.”

With a higher number of families in need this year, LeGal hopes to see that families, organisations, schools or friends will show an interest in sponsoring a family. “We normally get together in a school gym to organize all the baskets, but we won’t have room for them all this year!” she shares. “We need the community to get involved, more than ever. We’re so lucky to live in a country where we can feel safe all year round, and we’d love to extend that feeling of safety in our small way, to welcome people to our community and support them as they find a new way of life.”
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If you’d like to donate towards the Christmas hampers, please click here.
If you have questions about the program, please email us.