Deb Schenk
Contributed
Christmas is fast approaching and with it comes the need for the community’s generous support.
Every year the Sooke Christmas Bureau and the local community come together to provide everyone with enough groceries to have their own traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
The Christmas Bureau serves as an extension of the Sooke Food Bank.
The bureau expects to help approximately 320 families in Sooke even with the help of CFAX Santa’s Anonymous for some of the families.
As things stand, the food bank’s client numbers are already up more than 20 per cent over last year.
The District of Sooke also made a generous $7,000 grant, which will provide the Bureau with turkeys. Still needed items include soups, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans and tomato products (such as paste and sauce) as well as cereals, juice and other non-perishables.
The Christmas Bureau will have a float in the Santa Parade on Nov. 29 starting at 5 p.m., and anyone attending is encouraged to bring some food with them. Bureau members will collect the food and put it all on their float.
They will also collect cash if the load becomes too heavy to carry the food.
Sooke Fire and Rescue firefighters will be doing their food run on their lighted trucks which are always a joy to see on Dec. 12 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
You can check out their location online at sooke.ca.
Since the kick off for the Christmas Bureau was last Friday, November 20, the goal is to ensure all Sooke residents including Port Renfrew all have what they need for a joyous, full Christmas day.
The goal is to reach $25,000 in cash donations, which was achieved last year with the generous support of the Sooke community.
You can donate in a variety of ways, there are collection boxes around Sooke, and firefighters will soon be collecting in front of Sooke stores.
Those willing to pitch in can also mail a cheque to P.O. Box 983, Sooke, B.C. V9Z 1H9.
news@sookenewsmirror.com