700 baskets prepared for distribution

Bon Halkett was already anticipating a wonderful meal as he cradled a basketful of ingredients for a traditional Christmas dinner in his arms.

“This will be our first Christmas dinner,” the 21-year-old said. “I couldn’t be more happy. This is amazing.”

On Sunday, Halkett and his mother stopped by the Re/Max Preferred Realty office on Tecumseh Road East, where volunteers were assembling holiday food baskets.

Thanks to the generosity of a number of sponsors, each basket contained a turkey, potatoes, carrots, apples, zucchini, cookies and more.

Needy families received a voucher for a food basket from a local food bank or charitable organization. Some 700 baskets were prepared for distribution in the Re/ Max parking lot Sunday while another 100 each were distributed in Belle River, Amherstburg and to a Windsor outreach program.

Realtors and sisters-in-law Angie Goulet and Terra Lavack organized Sunday’s event, and together with their families they supplied all the turkeys. They hatched the idea of a simple turkey giveaway last year until overwhelming community response allowed them to include all the makings for a holiday feast.

“What really inspires us is we doubled the number of turkeys we’re giving away to 1,000 this year and the community came through with all the extra fruit and veggies,” Goulet said.

They used Facebook to ask for volunteers to put the food together in individual laundry baskets and had a long assembly line of them by 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

“It’s a testament to the Christmas spirit this city has,” Goulet said.

For Halkett and his mom, who have faced tough times financially, the meal will be a welcome change from oatmeal or fast food on Christmas Day. “This will really help us out over the holidays,” Halkett said.

Diane Bolton and her boyfriend also picked up a basket Sunday.

“It’s hard these days,” Bolton said. “People live paycheque to paycheque. I’m on disability and to get a meal like this really helps. People have problems but they also have pride. Sometimes you have to reach out for help. This is so nice.”

Ziad Kurdi and his wife Hafiza described the food basket as “a blessing.”

“These people are so nice, I can’t explain,” Hafiza said. “Canada is a beautiful country.”

The Kurdis came to Canada to escape the war and turmoil of their homeland of Lebanon 40 years ago.