West Island Mission needs gifts, volunteers
Food bank changing the way it assembles family hampers this holiday season
The West Island Mission is looking for volunteers and gifts for a new initiative being launched next month. By appointment, parents registered with the food bank are invited to come to the facility and choose a gift for their child or children, Dec. 1. In the past, a wrapped gift for each child was placed in the Christmas hamper. But this year, the annual Christmas hamper distribution takes place separately, on Dec. 8. After selecting the gift(s), parents may wrap their selections or have them wrapped by a volunteer. The new way of doing things makes the gift a more personal one. “If there was a teen boy in the family, we would give a basketball, which is a good gift for that age,” operations manager Wendy Gariepy said. “But what if the boy doesn’t like sports? We want the child to get a gift that makes them happy.” Parents are given three tickets for each child which allows them to choose one big gift (using all three tickets), one medium gift and one small gift or three small gifts. There will also be a table with smaller stocking-stuffer gifts as long as stock lasts. “The parents take the gifts with them and present them to the children on whatever holiday they celebrate,” Gariepy said. The toy-selection event is the second step in a push to make visiting the West Island Mission food bank a more dignified experience. In January, the food bank changed the way it serves its monthly clients. Instead of filling a hamper with standard items and handing it over, volunteers offer clients a shopping cart. That way, people can peruse the stocked shelves and make their own decisions within the food bank’s parameters. “It gives people a little more of a sense of empowerment,” Gariepy said. “Not everybody loves mushroom soup, for example, so they choose the kind of soup they like. That way, the soup will be eaten, which means the new method also cuts down on waste.” Many of the clients are refugees or newly-arrived immigrants, so volunteers are on hand to explain the system as well as the perhaps unfamiliar types of food available. Just over 300 families will receive Christmas hampers this year. Of those, 200 families have children. Gariepy calculates that up to 450 children will benefit from the gift-selection initiative. Gariepy said gifts and volunteers — for the gift event and the hamper preparation and distribution — are in demand. Gifts must be new — no used toys will be accepted — and should range between $10 and $30. The deadline for dropping off gifts is Nov. 26. The address for drop offs is 139 Labrosse Ave. in Pointe-Claire. Hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Gift ideas? Gariepy suggests LEGO, gift cards for the cinema or — a hit with girls — gift cards from an Ardene boutique. Gift cards for rock climbing or trampolining are also popular, as are skateboards, pretty slippers, sports jerseys and miniature foosball games. Volunteers are needed to work two or three-hour shifts for the gift event. And volunteers are needed to assemble Christmas hampers, Dec. 7, as well as to distribute the Christmas hampers, Dec. 8. To volunteer, email info@ wimmoi.org. For more information, call 514912-6813 or visit wimmoi.org. kgreenaway@postmedia.com