The Christmas Cheer Board in Winnipeg is seeing a big demand for hampers this year, according to Executive Director Shawna Bell.
Bell told Global News on Tuesday the board has received 80,000 calls for holiday hampers so far.
“We’re processing probably inwards of about 600 calls every day,” Bell said, “so come Dec. 23, that’s a lot of hampers.”
The phone lines officially opened on Nov. 8 and they received 13,000 calls within the first hour, and over 40,000 by the end of the day.
That’s nearly double last year’s first-day total, which was 23,000.
The board is reaching out to other organizations to offset the need and satisfy as many calls for assistance as possible.
Last year, the organization gave just under 17,000 food hampers to Winnipeg families in need and this year they are prepared for 18,000 hampers but they expect the number to increase.
“Just to understand a little bit about the need out there — it’s increased, it’s such a significant need,” she said.
“We were actually even talking with the Ukrainian organizations yesterday, they tell us there are 7000 Ukrainian settlers in the city so we know that’s going to impact our numbers significantly as well.”
Bell said volunteers from Norquay School’s “21 Leaders Program” packed close to 500 hampers Tuesday morning.
The organization is still accepting donations from the public at this time.
With files from Global’s Iris Dyck