Yellowknife (Dec 10/03) - Christmas is a time to give and the Salvation Army has already captured the spirit.

The annual adopt-a-family program is in full swing. Maj. Karen Hoeft said they expect about 600 hampers will be packaged and distributed in the city and surrounding communities this year.

"It's really the community that prepares the hamper for others to enjoy," she said.

Businesses, organizations and families that take part in the program donate their time and money to putting together packages for needy families. Among some of the contents that go into them are candles, table cloths, toys and food.

Hoeft said the Salvation Army is simply the "middle man" in order to ensure that those who donate are truly giving to a family, rather than an institution.

"When the community puts them together, they come up with some really neat things," she said. An average hamper can range anywhere between $300 to $350, but Hoeft said the donor can use their own discretion about what to spend and give.

"We try to match the families together," she said, adding that families with children are usually first to be adopted out.

There are no tax receipts involved in this approach to giving, and Hoeft said that is precisely why it means so much.

"It's one of the most amazing displays of true giving," she said. "We don't try to say 'make this the best Christmas they've had,' just try and make it a Christmas."

Recipients of the hampers must apply in person at the Salvation Army. About 400 hampers will be given to families in Yellowknife and an additional 200 will be sent to families in outside communities.