Christmas in July returns for Yellowknife's hungry
Resident prepares 178 bags of items for street people
Simon Whitehouse
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 18, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Christmas may still be six months away, but friendly gifts were delivered to the city's hungry as a local initiative hit the streets last Saturday.
Alex Lamouelle, 11, collects a Christmas bag from volunteer Kenna Snow, during the Christmas in July event Saturday in front of the post office. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo |
Renee Sanderson organized and ran her second annual event called Christmas in July that aims to provide supply bags, baked items and bottled water for the hungriest of Yellowknife's citizens.
"This year blew last year's event out of the water," said Sanderson as she handed out goods to all visitors to her table at the post office. "There were more donations, more volunteers and more bags."
She was accompanied by two other volunteers on Saturday - Kenna Snow, a colleague of Sanderson at Diavik and Karrman Walz, a senior medical travel officer at Stanton Territorial Hospital.
"This is my first year helping her out, packaging up the bags," said Snow.
"I think it is a great thing that she has started and I commend her for it and would like to join her every year to help her out to expand."
Walz said she got connected with Sanderson through Facebook and hadn't met the head organizer before Saturday. Walz was able to get McDonald's restaurant to also contribute free coffee and juice for the occasion.
"I think it is awesome," said Walz. "I used to work at the primary care centre clinic downtown and it is nice because it is showing people that we are thinking about them in July as well as at Christmas.
"Renee has a great idea and we are just playing off that idea."
The three volunteers handed out 178 bags of two kinds - one for men and one for women. The men's bags included shampoo, shaving cream, socks, granola bars and juice boxes and more. The women's bags included the aforementioned, plus had feminine products like pads, tampons, and wipes.
Sanderson said she raised about $500 to purchase supplies for the event, which included a Go Fund Me site where mainly individual friends and families contributed. She said it was much more than last year when she raised about $200. Looking ahead, she hopes the movement will grow.
"There were more people than I thought," she said of the hungry people she encountered on the street. "People were quite receptive and really appreciative and I am looking forward to next year and providing what is needed."
Sanderson said now that she and other volunteers have grown accustomed to organizing the event, they can plan for more items like clothing and backpacks.
