Although the holidays are typically some of the busiest times of year for us at the Food and Care Coalition, I think that as staff we really enjoy the different activities that we’re able to participate in with our clients.  What many people don’t realize is that our Thanksgiving Day meal and our Christmas meals are catered and provided by local businesses.  Thanksgiving meals are provided by Marvellous Catering, while Sweets Island Grill typically provides the meals for Christmas Day.  Last year, a blogger named Angela came to eat with us on Thanksgiving and wrote about her experience.  (Names have been changed.)

We’re often asked how people can get involved over the holidays.  Meal service is sometimes an option for most days (excluding Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, since these are catered.)  Serving a meal can sometimes be difficult to schedule around the holidays, because we fill up quickly.  Other options for food service might include bringing in a dessert or casseroles that can be served.

Starting around August, we’ll be looking for specific item donations that we use in our Christmas Gift bags.  These are gift bags that we give to all of our clients, making sure that no one goes without a gift around the holiday season.  Last year we provided over 200 bags for our clients.

Another great way to get involved over the holidays is through music.  We invite the public to schedule times where they would like to come in and sing or play musical instruments during meal times.  (We don’t require that you’re a professional musician!)  To schedule a time to come in and share your musical talent, email our volunteer coordinator Treva.

One of the easiest ways to give service over the holidays is by watching our current needs list.  We update this on a weekly basis, and it’s one of the best ways to make sure that your donation or your service is applied to our most urgent needs.

Any service rendered or donation given is gratefully received.  As a non-government agency, we rely heavily on the generosity of our community.  Whether service or donations are given during holiday times or other times of the year, when we work together we can really make a difference in the lives of those who would otherwise go without.