WCS sees increase demand for Christmas Goodwill hampers

busier than ever.

LESS

THAN TWO weeks away, Lions Hall in Elmira was a beehive of activity as volunteers packed hampers for the Woolwich Community Services’ annual Goodwill program. With demand growing for support, they’re

Since the pandemic began, WCS has seen an increase in people accessing the agency’s service, including the Christmas hamper program.

“We’ve had, I would say, 15 more families than before the pandemic,” said Tina Reed, coordinator of community support at

WCS. “We try really hard not to say no to anybody.”

Monday was the start of food hamper preparation, with Reed and the other volunteers on hand to pack and sort toys, food, and other donated items. Everything was being readied for pickup today (Thursday).

“Any toys that come in and whatnot just get saved for next year if they’re not used this year.”

WCS provided the community with options to donate with programs such as sponsor a family, wish trees and toy or food drives. Monetary donations were also raised for the Christmas Goodwill fund. Local community groups, such as the

Elmira Kiwanis Club, held fundraisers to support the holiday hampers.

“Thank you to all the sponsors and all the businesses and service clubs and all the people that took to make it happen –all the sponsors and stores that were willing to put the wish trees in them for people to purchase gifts for the food hamper program,” said Reed.

Monday was a busy day for Reed and her team of volunteers as they organized and sorted through all the donations, being sure to fulfill every family’s wish list of items for the upcoming holidays. It was a large operation, → HAMPERS 9

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Woolwich as go-between From the archives

Township council this week formalized an agreement with the Woolwich Gymnastics Club to act as a flow-through source for a $2,400 grant from the Dan Snyder Foundation. As it’s not a charity, the club could not directly receive the money from the Kitchener Waterloo Community Fund.

The waters may not be troubled, but drivers will be as Waterloo Region plans to reconstruct two bridges in Woolwich Township. The Church Street bridge over the Canagagigue Creek, near Elmira’s Bolender Park, will likely be completely replaced next year, tying up traffic to the east. From the Dec. 18, 2004 edition of The Observer