Christmas can be a stressful time of the year especially for people struggling financially but agencies like the Central Okanagan Food Bank are there to help.
“Such a blessing,” Kelowna mother of four Randa Cundy said. “It helps provide extra nutrition for the children. It frees up money so that we could do things that we otherwise couldn’t and it’s just been there throuout my children’s lives here and there, when we have needed it.”
Cundy was one of hundreds of Okanagan residents picking up a Christmas hamper Monday from the Kelowna food bank location on Ellis Street.
“We are expected to distribute about 1,400 Christmas hampers out of this location over the next three days,” Executive Director of the Central Okanagan Food Bank Lenetta Parry said.
The hampers include everything a person would need to cook up a traditional Christmas dinner.
“Our Christmas hampers contain turkeys, stuffing, cranberry sauce, seasonal produce as well as canned goods and an assortment of holiday treats, things like cookies and boxes of chocolate so we try and make them real special for the holidays.” Parry said.
More than 300 volunteers have come together for the three-day long hamper distribution event.
But there are agencies in place to help.