Volunteers are on the move today delivering hundreds of hampers for this year's Squamish Community Christmas Care.
The hampers were lined up and filled with food and toys at a depot on Pioneer Way, as volunteers in cars lined up on Dec. 17, ready to deliver them to those who need a little extra help these holidays.
“We have around 70 volunteers here today and I think around 25 to 30 cars delivering and that's with two people per car,” organizer Rev. Cameron Gutjahr told The Squamish Chief.
Around 430 hampers were put together this year and can cater for up to nine people.
“The hamper can be for one person up to nine people, so we are delivering to probably just a little over 1,000 individuals altogether,” Gutjahr said.
He also said his year has proven to be very plentiful for donations.
“We’ve had ample donations this year. Last year was not quite as good a year donation wise,” Gutjahr said.
“So we started off a little lower this year, but the community really stepped up in a big way and in lots of different parts of town, like schools and businesses and other organizations as well as some grants that we received, it was really wonderful.”
As for what the Community Christmas Care means to him and the people of Squamish, Gutjahr said it’s all about people helping people.
“This is our 44th year of Community Christmas Care, so it brings together, I think, the best of Squamish. It's a hamper program that still has that kind of small town feel in some ways; but we're also kind of embracing what Squamish is becoming, with new businesses and people, and just the scale we're able to do now because of that,” he said.
“It brings together the most of Squamish, like the largest different folks in Squamish and people and groups, and it's just important for us to care for one another.
We're in a very transient town, a very isolated town, and our tagline, or motto, is community caring for community. And so we get to really care for those in our community who need a hand for all sorts of reasons.”
