Updated: Tue Dec. 08 2009 19:11:06
ctvwinnipeg.ca
With a little more than two weeks until Christmas, many local charities say they are in need of help and are asking Winnipeggers to come through in the midst of tough economic times.
Winnipeg Harvest says it's short on baby formula, baby food, canned soup, canned meat and other high protein foods.
At least 5,500 hampers are needed for families every week, says the charity. Harvest hopes it can make ends meet until the Christmas Cheer Board starts delivering its holiday hampers.
Cheer Board officials say they're also a little behind where they were at this time last year and deliveries start going out on Saturday.
The Salvation Army was hoping to have $16 million dollars by Christmas for its programs across Canada, but the kettles have only collected $4 million so far. Locally, 3,000 toys have been donated, well short of the organization's goal for its toy drive.
"We want to encourage all the people in Winnipeg to give generously so that we can make that goal of 12,000," says Capt. Les Marshall of The Salvation Army.
Toys can be dropped off at any Winnipeg fire hall or at any Scotia Bank.
All money donated to Salvation Army kettles in Manitoba stays in the province.
Food donations for Winnipeg Harvest can be dropped off at any Safeway, Superstore or Sobeys.
Harvest's top 10 most-needed items:
- Canned fish and poultry - tuna, or salmon (packed in water) chicken or turkey
- Canned fruit and vegetables (packed in own juice)
- Canned stew, chili, brown beans
- Peanut Butter
- Baby Food - jars of chicken, beef, vegetables or fruit, infant cereal such as oatmeal, barley or rice and formula with added iron
- Whole grain pasta/whole wheat pasta
- Rice - brown, converted or parboiled
- Canned spaghetti sauce or tomatoes
- Cereal - high-fiber, non-sugar coated
- Canned soup - lentil, peas, vegetable
Contact information for Winnipeg Harvest, Christmas Cheer Board and the Salvation Army is available below:
Winnipeg Harvest
Phone: 982-3663
Website: www.winnipegharvest.org
Christmas Cheer Board
Phone: 669-5369 or 989-5680
Website: www.christmascheerboard.ca
Salvation Army
Phone: 946-9101
Website: www.salvationarmy.ca
