Dryden Christmas Cheer Organizer Peggy Howard. Rotary Screenshot.
Volunteers and organizers call it an annual Christmas miracle in the City of Dryden.
Peggy Howard has been organizing Dryden Christmas Cheer for the past 10 years and joined the Rotary Club of Dryden’s virtual meeting Wednesday to give an update on fundraising efforts.
“In 2020 we had 62 thousand dollars donated, which was wonderful. Right now, we’re at about 32 thousand. It’s hard to gage how much more is coming because a lot of people who may have donated in December in the past donated in November to help us with that goal (of getting gift cards out to families ahead of Christmas). I’m very hopeful though that we are halfway (to our fundraising goal).
The program will provide support to 300 families in need of assistance this holiday season.
Even with 100 plus volunteers, Howard says COVID-19 has presented many challenges when it comes to organizing and keeping program recipients and volunteers safe.
“What we’re finding is we need to prepare those gift cards much farther ahead, which means we have to know what we have as far as donations, what we have as far as applicants (select applicants eligibility), purchase the gift cards, turn them around to be ready to be distributed in time for people to have enough time to prepare for Christmas.”
Gift cards for program recipients to purchase their own food and toys will replace place food hampers once again this year due to COVID-19.
“We’ve been very fortunate in that the community has been very understanding in regards to these changes, they continue to be very generous and they have really stepped up,” says Howard. “Community members, businesses or organizations that would have adopted a family in the past are now pulling their funds together and making a monetary donation. The continued support has been wonderful and is making it possible to accomplish this.”
There’s still time to make someone’s Christmas a bit more merry this year.
To make a monetary donation, cheques or cash can be dropped off in the Christmas Cheer drop box at the Community Support Centre-NW or mailed to Christmas Cheer, 53 Arthur Street, Dryden, ON P8N 1J7. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Christmas Cheer’.
Interac e-Transfers may be sent to cheer@drytel.net. No password is required. If you would like a charitable receipt, you’re asked to include your name and mailing address in the message box.
