It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Accueil Kateri Centre Inc. in Ste. Anne.  

Food Bank Manager Armande Leclair says they have hundreds of boxes at the food bank, waiting and ready to be filled with food and toys early next week, just before they are distributed. 

“We have distribution for Christmas hampers for the people that come to the food bank that don't have to register, it's automatic they get a Christmas hamper, that will be done on Wednesday the 13th and then the other 45 [for those that registered] will be picking up on Saturday the 16th.” 

a table piled with donations for Ste. Anne Christmas hampers

In total, Leclair says they expect to distribute approximately 145 Christmas hampers and all of them will be picked up at the centre. She adds, thanks to their generous donors, the hampers are quite substantial. 

“Everybody's getting two boxes of food for sure, and the larger families will get three and then they get the frozen meat on top of that, they get the milk and the cheese and the eggs. They leave with a lot of food and we're hoping that they will enjoy it and that it will be a joyous time.” 

In addition, she says recipients will get gifts, and book bags with a new book, snacks, pencils and other related items. 

Leclair says they have received ample support this year from the business community, from local residents and from groups of volunteers. She notes Phoenix Cheer Athletics runs a toy drive for them every year, the Sainte Anne Police runs a food drive, teachers and staff from the schools in Ste. Anne help with gifts, and those are only a few of the community initiatives. She says it is incredible. 

“For the donors, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you. To the people receiving the hampers, we hope that this will make a really wonderful Christmas, that they're going to have food on the table and that the kids are going to have gifts to open at Christmas time, I wish them all a Merry Christmas.”