One year after the Christmas Cheer Board took the unprecedented step of shutting off its phones for hamper applications after getting more demand than they had capacity for, the organization vows it won’t happen again.
Shawna Bell, the Cheer Board’s executive director, said one of the ways they are hoping to do it is by cracking down on hamper double-dippers.
Bell said the changes will start when the Cheer Board’s phone lines for people applying for hampers open on Tuesday for this holiday season.
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES
Terry Sharman volunteers as a Christmas hamper checker at the Christmas Cheer Board at 895 Century St., on Dec. 15, 2023.
“Similar to Santa’s lists, we check it, we check it twice and we look for naughty people,” said Bell on Saturday. “We had duplication (with one organization). They had 800 people on their list and we found 50 per cent were duplicates with us. And that’s just one organization.”
Bell said a check with the 50 social agencies which link with the Cheer Board to get 1,700 hampers out to people found another 200 double dippers.
“Last year 500 to 750 people didn’t get a hamper at all from us because we had to close it early,” she said. “We never want to find ourselves in that situation again. So, if we can avoid duplication, more people who need them will get a hamper.
“It’s not to make people feel uncomfortable, but to make sure hampers get to everyone.”
Bell said Harvest Manitoba is also going to help this year. She said that organization will be asking people looking for food from them and, if they have already requested a hamper from the Cheer Board, that’s the sole hamper they will get that month.
She said they are budgeting for the 20,500 hampers it distributed last year — and expecting food donations to help them fill more if needed.
“That’s the number we are preparing for,” said Bell. “Eighty to 85 per cent of what comes in is purchased while 15 to 20 per cent is by donations.
“We’ll be really counting on that 15 to 20 per cent this year — especially if more come in. But, to be honest, with the economy, it seems to be improving a bit. But, until we see the need decrease, and the prices out there normalize, we will be working hard for awhile to come.”
Until last year, the most hampers the 105-year-old Cheer Board had distributed was 18,313, and that was only the year before.
That’s why last year the seasonal organization budgeted on 19,000 hampers, but then the calls began coming in — a lot of calls.
More than 1,000 applications were processed in the first two days. At points, there were three incoming calls being received every second.
“When I stepped into this role in 2021, it was always 16,500 to 17,000,” said Bell. “We’ve gone up 20 per cent in the last four years. That’s a pretty big jump.”
Bell said the high need comes at a cost. Besides the crackdown on double-dippers, other things have had to change in recent years because of the high demand.
The turkeys or chickens that used to be a standard part of the hamper has been gone now for a few years.
The charitable organization is still trying to figure out how they can get presents for children aged 15 to 17.
“I don’t want them to feel left out when younger siblings are opening presents,” said Bell.
The budget for yarn, which used to be donated to knitters who would return the completed tuques, mitts and scarves, had to be moved over into food purchases.
But Bell said they were able to make a deal to get tuques, mitts and scarves elsewhere, while a local egg producer has also been brought on board.
“When people come in to get their hampers, we’ll be able to give them a dozen eggs until we run out,” she said.
For a second consecutive year, the Cheer Board is located at 895 Century St., the longtime former home of Bill Knight Flooring and Carpets, but they still dream of somewhere permanent.
“If we were in a long time place we could look hat having refrigeration or being able to buy in bulk,” said Bell. “We don’t have that ability.
“So if there is somebody out there that wants to gift us something, let me know,” she added laughing.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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