by Ian Elliot
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 24/97) - Depleted food hampers distributed by the Salvation Army filled up over the weekend as Yellowknifers responded to a Christmas plea from the Salvation Army.

Demand for the hampers, which contain a Christmas dinner for a needy family and staples such as pasta and canned goods for the new year, is up this year and donations were lagging behind, but a weekend push by city residents topped up the hampers just in time.

"We're not there yet but we're working on it," said Captain Karen Hoeft from the Army's bustling Franklin Avenue headquarters on Monday morning. The hampers were distributed this week.

"We'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone in Yellowknife who helped us out."

Food banks and hamper programs across the country have issued similar pleas for donations, saying that they did not have enough food in the run-up to Christmas, which is traditionally the busiest time of the year for them. In Yellowknife, demand has shot up from 240 hampers required last year to about 300 this year.

Hoeft said the mail strike prevented the Army from sending out reminders to people who have donated in the past, and also mused that the mild winter Yellowknife is experiencing may have pushed thoughts of Christmas far from people's thoughts. Normally, the day is celebrated after a month of -30 C temperatures, which has not been the case this year.

Hoeft said the Army will accept donations of food all through the holidays. Activity there will not cease even though the rest of the town has shut down to celebrate the holiday -- once the hampers are distributed to those who need them, the Army's next big task is to put on a Christmas Day dinner for the needy.

"We don't shut down for Christmas," she said with a laugh. "We pretty much run 24 hours a day."