Volunteering for Christmas at Moorelands... it's worth it!

by Carole Legget (aka "Christmas Carole")

In 1996 I volunteered for Christmas Sharing at Downtown Churchworkers, as Moorelands was then called. Jan Kerst, the Coordinator and I, self-proclaimed 'Queen of the Basement', worked in happy, sometimes madcap harmony in the old Carlaw Avenue warren basement where "Turn right at the dead mouse" helped find the storeroom one day. Christmas Sharing was labour intensive in the mid '90s since only some of our families were adopted. We packed gift and food boxes for some two hundred families with the help of many volunteers. Once in a while we found ourselves with a surprise delivery and no volunteers.

One such snowy, stormy December morning an 18-wheeler arrived early with all the food to be packed, only the volunteers were coming in the afternoon. With 'All hands to the pumps' spirit our four hands took on the daunting task. In very similar light blue jackets, white hair flying, we unloaded what felt like tons of cases of jars, tins and boxes of food onto a huge commercial dolly that we could barely control. (So much for workplace safety.) Passing truck drivers slowed, stared, waved and honked at the unlikely duo questioning why two ladies-of-a-certain-age were unloading a truck. Had the company fallen on hard times? Had we? We said 'They must be wondering what on earth those two old broads are doing' and laughed so much we could hardly continue unloading.

Trucks no longer roll up with tons of food. Families now select their own food with grocery gift cards provided by adopters. Each Christmas when I think of the 'old days' of lifting, hauling and packing, I wonder how we did it but never why. I remember the mom who danced, sang and hugged us; the dad who said not a word, but called the next day to say he was so overcome, speechless and the mom who burst into tears when she saw that all three children had skates. There were the parents who set off with impossibly laden buggies and backpacks in rush hour; the mom who made five TTC trips across the city carrying bags and the mom so thrilled with the pictures to hang on her bare walls and.......It was worth it. It still is.

Nasreen

David, a single father with two small children, was struggling to make ends meet. He had been on long-term disability for some time but in September, finally found a part-time job he thought might turn into full-time work. Less than two months into his job however, he was laid off. Feeling very discouraged, David tried to find other work but had a hard time of it. He knew Christmas was coming and he had no money to buy his children gifts. That's when he applied to our Christmas Sharing Program. It was a big step for David to ask for help. He said he never would have come if not for his kids. He told us that they deserved to have a proper Christmas. This year our Christmas elves put their efforts into overdrive finding food, gifts and winter hats and gloves for David and his family and for the over 300 other families helped through our Christmas Sharing Program. He was ecstatic when he came to pick up his hamper. It's the little things that make a holiday special. Christmas Hampers, with their food and gifts allow parents to spend time and connect with their kids - cooking a special meal, playing a new game, working on a puzzle or marvelling over new toys.