Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 13/02) - Christmas is still six weeks away, but the Salvation Army is already in the spirit of the season.

The adopt-a-family campaign is underway and the Salvation Army is taking applications for hampers, registrations for sponsors and volunteers, said Major Karen Hoeft.

The hampers are stuffed full of food, gifts and miscellaneous items to help bring needy families a joyous holiday.

"People can put in fun stuff, like a table cloth or candles. It's not institutionalized as if the Salvation Army was doing it. If the Salvation Army was doing it we'd have to choose between food and candles," said Hoeft.

"The more people that sponsor families, the less people there are that have to have an institutional packed hamper."

Last year 600 families in Yellowknife and other Northern communities received hampers from the local Salvation Army and Hoeft does not expect that number to be less this year.

"The cost of living is not going down. Our wages are not going up. It's not just income support people we help, we help a lot of the working poor," said Hoeft.

"It is one of the most amazing displays of true giving. You are getting nothing in return except knowing you are giving a family a Christmas."

Those who want to volunteer or sponsor a family can call the Salvation Army or e-mail irish@sa-nwt.nt.ca.

Hamper recipients must apply in person, but Hoeft said the process is pretty simple.

"We don't ask a lot of questions. It's demeaning enough to ask for help," she said.

"It's done on the honour system. People who come in and apply for hampers that don't need it, we don't see a lot of that. Even if 20 per cent didn't need it, that is still 320 people who did."

For an average size family the hamper usually costs a sponsor around $200 to $300. Hoeft said it is interesting to see some of the things that go into hampers.

"We had a group of guys packing a hamper and they sent huge hamper, but it was boxes of macaroni and cheese. It was a bunch of single guys so it was what they would eat and buy. It was cute," said Hoeft.