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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
More families received much larger Christmas hampers from the Yellowknife Salvation Army this year, thanks to generous donations.

Approximately 400 St. Patrick School students created a human chain to deliver hamper items directly from the school to the Salvation Army this year, in what has become an annual tradition. About 270 Yellowknife families received hampers this year, compared to 230 last year. - NNSL file photo

About 270 Yellowknife families picked up hampers with a full Christmas dinner and at least a weeks worth of food this year, 40 more than the 230 hampers that were given out last year.

"The need was up," said community case worker Stacey Van Metre, who handed out the hampers between Dec. 19 and 22 along with about half a dozen volunteers. "There was a lot of happy faces leaving the Salvation Army for sure."

The hampers were much larger this year, Van Metre added, with "overwhelming" donations from several organizations including Food Rescue, Yellowknife schools, and government agencies, with the City of Yellowknife's employee food drive collecting a total of 1,484.55 kg of food.

"Just a lot came in this year, which was great because then we made our Christmas hampers larger as well," Van Metre said.

The hampers ranged in size from single hampers for single people, to double extra large hampers for families with more than nine members.

Toys and other gifts were included for children up to age 14, who received clothing, gift certificates, dolls and other items.

"It makes the children's Christmas," Van Metre said. "It makes the children happy. There are smiles on their faces Christmas morning because they did receive gifts."

The Salvation Army received a barrage of calls from grateful families after picking up their hampers, Van Metre said.

"A lot of people were calling the next day just saying 'thank you very much,'" she said. "They were actually impressed with the amount of food there was this year. Just very grateful."

An additional 250 hampers were handed out to families from outlying Northwest Territories communities ­ about the same amount handed out last year.

Fundraising figures from the Salvation Army's other Christmas-time initiative, the Christmas kettle campaign, are to be released in the new year.

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