The Lord’s Bounty
Food Bank
What it does:
Offers supplementary food to anyone who needs it. Provides emergency hampers to any who have missed the Elks and Salvation Army hamper programs. Adopts a family at Christmastime.
How you can help:
Donate non-perishable food or cash
Contact:
Dennis Hydamaka, 306-362-2117
[email protected]
Address:
86 Hapnot Street, Flin Flon MB
The Lord’s Bounty Food Bank provides assistance by way of supplementary food to all individuals, couples and families that are in need. Their volunteers pick up food donations, which are packaged into hampers and distributed twice a month. The organization is always looking for donations of canned fish, pork and beans, pasta and pasta sauce, canned or frozen veggies and fruit, coffee and tea, and cash donations. During the Christmas season, the food bank supplies emergency hampers to those who miss the Elks/Salvation Army hamper programs. The food bank also adopts a family for Christmas and provides a Christmas dinner hamper and gifts for each family member.
Operation Christmas Child
Who runs it:
Samaritan’s Purse
What it does:
Sends shoeboxes filled with gifts to children all over the world.
How you can help:
Fill a shoebox with gifts for a child, including a $7 donation to help cover shipping costs.
Contact: Website:
Heather Lowe, 204-687-6343 samaritanspurse.ca
Operation Christmas Child is a worldwide initiative run by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief and development organization that provides aid to people in need, regardless of their religious faith, race, gender, or socio-economic standing. Through this initiative, volunteers fill shoeboxes for children around the world, as a special Christmas gift. In 2014, shoeboxes will be distributed in Uruguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Costa Rica, Guinea, Haiti, Nicaragua, Chile (including Easter Island), and Senegal. Extra shoe boxes are also needed this year for the Ukraine. Volunteers are welcome to donate shoeboxes for children, including a $7 donation to help cover the cost of shipping the box. Visit www.samaritanspurse.ca for instructions and suggestions. This program will run until November 21, but donations are accepted throughout the year.
Christmas Tree Sale
Who runs it:
Kinsmen & Kinettes clubs
of Flin Flon
What it does:
Sells trees at the Walmart parking lot &
donates profits to the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank; collects food bank donations at the sale
How you can help:
Bring a non-perishable food item and buy a tree!
Kinsmen Contact:
Trevor Thurstan, President, 204-687-0336,
[email protected]
Kinettes Contact:
Marlene Gogal, President, 204-271-1372
Kin Canada is a national service club. Each local branch aims to serve their community’s greatest needs through supporting or leading local projects. This Christmas, as in the past, the Kinsmen and Kinettes will sell Christmas trees in the Walmart parking lot on November 29 from 10-4. The trees will cost $55-$65, depending on size. Profits from the tree sale will be donated to the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank. The Kinsmen and Kinettes will also collect items for the food bank during the sale; those who bring a food donation will receive a discount on their Christmas tree.
Christmas Hamper Program
Who runs it:
Flin Flon Elks Lodge #232
What it does:
Provides hampers for families
who need a little help during the holidays.
How you can help:
Donate cash, non-perishable food items and toys. Volunteer to help package and deliver hampers.
Contact:
Gordon Evans, 204-687-5276
Flin Flon Elks Lodge is a service club that aims to assist those less fortunate in the community, including fire victims and special healthcare recipients. Every Christmas, the Elks Lodge coordinates a Christmas hamper program for families who need help. Volunteers are needed to help package and deliver the hampers. Donations of cash, non-perishable food items, and toys are welcome.
Christmas Gift Program
Who runs it:
Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre
What it does:
For families in the community
whose circumstances make it
impossible for them to give gifts
to their children, the Friendship Centre provides
an opportunity for parents and guardians to select
a donated gift to put under the tree for each child.
How you can help:
Donate a new, unwrapped gift for a child or teen, or give a cash donation so a gift can be purchased.
Contact:
Jeremiah Herrmann, 204-687-8858, [email protected]
57 Church Street, Flin Flon
Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre runs a program so families may give their children a gift at Christmas when circumstances might otherwise prevent them from doing so. Parents register for an appointment, choose one gift per child, then wrap the gift to take it home and put it under the tree. Gifts are distributed to approximately 100 to 150 families. Program organizers are looking for gifts for teens, in particular, this year. Donations of clothing, compact hygiene products, or food donations including buns, desserts, and meats are always appreciated at the centre as well.
Operation Red Nose
Who runs it:
Rotary Club
What it does:
Volunteers provide free transportation for
individuals and their vehicles during the holiday season.
How you can help:
Volunteer to drive; give cash donations, gas vouchers, lunches, snacks & door prizes for volunteers.
Call to arrange a ride:
204-687-7331(RED1), during operating hours
Information contact:
Ted Hewitt, 204-687-7450, [email protected]
Website:
operationrednose.com
Operation Red Nose is a nationwide initiative whereby local volunteers provide free transportation for individuals, and their vehicles, during the holiday season. Operation Red Nose will be available between 9 pm and 3 am on November 28 and 29, December 5, 6, 12, 13,19, 20, 27 and 31. Those in need of a drive can call 204-687-7331(RED1) during operating hours. Service will be available to residents of Flin Flon, Big Island, Bakers Narrows, Creighton and Denare Beach. Volunteer drivers are needed; to volunteer, complete the application form at operationrednose.com and drop it off at the RCMP office. Donations of gas vouchers, lunches, snacks and door prizes for volunteers are welcome.
Christmas Hamper Program
& Toy Drive
Who runs it:
Salvation Army Flin Flon
What it does:
Provides gifts and hampers of food at Christmas for children and families in need.
How you can help:
Donate a toy at the Angel Tree at Walmart or give at one of the kettle locations throughout the community
To register for a hamper:
Visit the Salvation Army Church at 3 Hemlock Drive, Flin Flon, between Monday, November 24 and Thursday, November 27. Hours are 10 am to 3 pm.
Contact:
Debbie Allen, 204-687-7812
Email:
[email protected]
Salvation Army Flin Flon helps people in need throughout the community. During the Christmas season, Salvation Army will run a toy drive and a Christmas hamper program for families in need. Toys are needed for children from infants to age 12, and should be unwrapped; new toys are preferred. To donate a toy, visit the Angel Tree at Walmart, where you can pick up a gift tag, then drop off your toy at the Walmart customer service desk. Salvation Army volunteers will also be out in the community with donation kettles during the holidays. Kettle donations will go towards Christmas hampers and other social service initiatives. Christmas hampers include a basket of food for Christmas dinner, and additional food supplies. Those interested in receiving a Christmas hamper can register at the Salvation Army Church from 10-3 from Monday November 24-Thursday November 27.
Freedom Outreach
Gift Drive
What it does:
Provides gifts and food for students of Freedom Outreach who are away from their families during the holiday season
How you can help:
Donate food and gifts. Also donations of warm socks (sizes 10-13), gloves, candy and gum are appreciated.
Contact:
Allen Lagore, [email protected]
306-362-2117, 100 Boundary Rd, Denare Beach, SK
Website:
freedomoutreach.weebly.com
Freedom Outreach helps men ages 18 and older find freedom from life-controlling addictions through a one-year residential program during which students learn about overcoming addiction, anger management, accountability, how to be productive at work, how to manage daily tasks, and how to re-enter the workforce. The men also learn skills such as carpentry, yard care and shingling. The centre is running a gift and food drive during the Christmas season for students who are spending their holidays at the centre, away from their families. Donated items such as gum, warm socks (sizes 10-13), gloves, Christmas candy or gift cards would be appreciated. Please call the centre to arrange drop off or pick up of donations.
RAMP Program &
Christmas Raffle
Who runs it:
NorVA Centre, 177 Green Street
What it does:
Recycles art materials and donates them to students and under-waged artists. Runs a Christmas raffle to support the NorVA Centre’s initiatives. Prizes include local artwork and art classes.
How you can help:
Donate art materials; purchase raffle tickets.
Contact:
Mike Spencer, 204-687-4237, [email protected]
The NorVA Centre fosters growth, access and inclusion in the visual arts for our northern community. Emerging artists, students and creative people of all ages and stages of development are included in this mandate. The Recycled Art Materials Program (RAMP) receives art materials as donations and gives them back to schools, children, art students and under-waged artists. NorVA also runs a Christmas raffle, with art classes and local artwork as prizes.
