By Jill Sperling

Christmas Amalgamated preparing to fill food hampers next week

Dec 9, 2016 | 2:54 PM

KAMLOOPS — Christmas Amalgamated will begin putting together Christmas food hampers next week. 

The charitable organization has struggled to stay stocked with gifts for families in need this year, relying heavily on community groups for help. 

Food donations are beginning to trickle in, and many businesses and community groups are fundraising to help purchase food items. 

Christmas Amalgamated coordinator Sally Whitson said many of these same groups also volunteer their time to deliver the hampers.

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“This wouldn’t work without the help,” Whitson said. “We have absolutely no government grants whatsoever. Every penny we get comes from the people in Kamloops, and the businesses in Kamloops, the charity organizations, all working together to make it work.”

While the shelves of toys aren’t as well stocked as previous years, Christmas Amalgamated’s adoption program is doing quite well. 

Through the program people can choose to support the needs of a family by purchasing gifts and preparing a food hamper. 

Tania McCartney and her family have participated in the adoption program for the past two years.

“When we adopt families my children are part of buying gifts for the children in the families, and they come with me grocery shopping,” McCartney said. “We pick out things together so that they can actually see it making an impact on somebody in their community, and that’s really important for me.” 

Anyone looking to drop off food or gifts can find Christmas Amalgamated located in the Fortune Shopping Centre.