The spirit of Christmas was strong at the Peterborough Armoury on Monday as a battalion of volunteer elves packed toys for the Salvation Army Christmas hamper program.
The volunteers came from service clubs, churches and secondary schools. Their job was to go through a literal mountain of donated toys and sort them according to the age and gender of the those receiving them.
Over the next few days, 2,000 families will come through and pick out some toys for their children, who may otherwise get nothing on Christmas morning.
“For the kids, it’s a real eye-opener to see the reality of our community and the needs that are there and also the feeling of making something great for those families,” says Michelle Staube, who brought some of her students from Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.
The Salvation Army’s Johnathan Sharp has worked in the office with the Kettle Campaign and the Toy Shop for years, but this year, he’s boots on the ground at the Armoury as volunteer co-ordinator.
Sharp adds while cash donations through the local Salvation Army Kettle Campaign have raised more money than previous years, they have also seen a jump in demand for services.