Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Baker Lake (Mar 15/00) - With the promise of spring just around the corner, most people are not thinking about Christmas and the efforts of community members to make it a joyous season for everyone.

As with many Northern detachments, the Baker Lake RCMP do their best every year to help provide a merry Christmas for their community's less fortunate.

This past Christmas, the Baker squad helped out 49 families as part of its annual food hamper drive.

Constables Jennifer Ebert and Dave Kalist did the shopping, packed the hampers and handled delivering the goods to local families.

Cpl. Tim Walton says the food drive is advertised throughout the community, with donations of cash or food being accepted.

He says the organizers never really had the opportunity to publicly thank everyone who made the hamper program such a success.

"We get the names of the families from social services and there were quite a few families needing help this year."

The Northern store's employees' fund donated $500 to the drive and the store gave 15 per cent off on hamper purchases.

Sanavik Co-op gave sale prices on many of the hampers' staple items, the Jonah Amitnaaq secondary school soup program donated about 20 cases of macaroni, Baker MLA Glenn McLean donated turkeys and many other residents and businesses helped the worthwhile effort.

"The cash discounts from both the Northern store and the Co-op really helped us stretch our resources again this year," said Walton.

"There's a void there, you see it and do your best to help the situation.

"It's a Christmas initiative that helps make the community a little happier during the holiday season."