The East Ferris Santa Fund needs your help to add a little cheer to a family’s Christmas.
Usually, organizers of the Santa Fund mail out notices to East Ferris households to notify them of the annual drive. However, with Canada Post on strike, they’re trying to get the word out trough other means and offer new ways to donate.
Paul Gauthier, who helms the East Ferris Santa Fund, and has been involved with the initiative for over 20 years, noted the “People are very generous,” and the food and toy drive has been going strong for over 50 years, thanks to the spirit of giving.
Last Christmas, the East Ferris Santa Fund delivered food boxes to 38 families and gave toys to 32 local children. Gauthier noted, “This Christmas, we are anticipating appeals for help as a result of steadily increasing food and utility prices contributing to financial concerns for households.”
Due to the strike, you can’t mail out a cheque to help fund the cause, as many residents preferred to do. Instead, you can donate via an e-transfer to [email protected].
Or you can bring cash or a cheque to these locations in Corbeil – Lucky 13, Ferris Glen Public School, the East Ferris Township Office, or the East Ferris Medical Centre. Someone there will be happy to accept the donation and pass it on the fund’s organizers. You can also donate at the Callander Food Bank.
For the Astorville crowd, you can drop off those donations to St. Thomas Catholic School, the Astorville Arena, the Library, or at the Astorville Freshmart.
The fund only accepts financial donations, which is used to fill the baskets with food for families in need. All items are purchased locally, Gauthier emphasized.
And if you know of someone who might like one of these food boxes, organizers have a form you can fill out. Once complete, drop it off to one of the above locations. Do so by December 12th for consideration.
“We are hoping that in the spirit of the season, our supporters will continue to be as generous as possible,” organizers noted in a release.
All deliveries to families will be made by Sunday, December 22nd.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
