The Winkler Christmas Cheerboard is nearly three-quarters of the way to meeting its goal of $100,000 in donations for 2022.
Crystal Rempel, a volunteer with the board for six years, says the contents of those hampers have changed over the years.
"We used to do physical food. We'd bring in crates from different grocery stores of flour and sausage and bread and everything that we would pack in these hampers. But now our community is changing over the last few years too. We're more culturally diversified and what we had put in the hamper, not necessarily every family would find a use for or would understand what it is maybe."
Since the start of COVID, Rempel says they have switched to use of gift cards, allowing recipients to choose food based on their dietary needs and provide a heightened sense of dignity. The transition to gift cards has cut down on waste as well. Local businesses have contributed too by supplying coupons that can be exchanged for food.
Since pandemic restrictions were dropped, Rempel says they have increased community involvement in their efforts. The city's growth has bumped up their numbers a little from last year.
"We're putting together 423 hampers [for] over 1600 people together and all the families. If you look at all the gifts on the table there are 750 gifts and then all the kids 12 to 18 get a gift card, then the grocery money. There's a lot of families."
For the past few years, Rempel says they've given recipients the option of picking up their hamper or having it delivered by one of board's hand-picked drivers.
Donations can be made on the Winkler Christmas Cheerboard's website, or the link at PembinaValleyOnline, as well as by mail or phone.
