The Earl Naswell Community Christmas Society (ENCCS) is ramping up for another season of sharing, and is asking Comox Valley residents to help out in any way they can.
The goal for this year is to prepare and deliver 800 Christmas dinners, with all the fixings, for those in the community without the facilities to make their own.
Traditionally, the Earl Naswell Community Christmas Dinner has been an in-person, sit-down meal at the Florence Filberg Centre, but COVID changed all that. In 2020, as restrictions prohibited mass gatherings, the dinner was transformed into a delivery service.
The new format proved so popular, organizers have stuck with it.
Whereas the in-person meal would generally attract between 200 and 250 people, the delivery requests exploded to nearly 700 the first year, and the numbers have increased every year since.
(To register for delivery of a dinner this year, call the Salvation Army Cornerstone Community and Family Services, 250-338-5133.)
At this time, the society is putting a call out to people who can commit to delivering the dinners to homes in the Comox Valley.
鈥淒rivers will be needed on Christmas Day to pick up the packages at the Florence Filberg Centre,鈥� said ENCCS treasurer, Rob James.
The society is looking for a commitment of one-to-two hours, beginning at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Christmas Day.
To volunteer as a driver, email EarlNaswellChristmas@shaw.ca
Sponsors/donations needed
The ENCCS is also in need of sponsorships, either in kind, or through cash donations.
This year is anticipated to be the most expensive year in the event鈥檚 41-year history, as the target number of recipients is higher than ever before, and food costs have increased dramatically in the past 12 months.
鈥淲e are still needing additional sponsors to help us gather all the required supplies for the dinner,鈥� said James. 鈥淎ny business or individual looking to help out this year鈥檚 event may contact us via email.
鈥淲e can accept e-transfer donations directly through our email; please remember to include your name and contact details if you wish for us to reply.鈥�
Contact names should accompany any cash donations provided. Anonymous donations are gladly accepted, although the society would appreciate the opportunity to thank the anonymous donors privately.
To send an e-transfer, please use the EarlNaswellChristmas@shaw.ca email address.
For anyone without access to e-transfers who would like to donate, please call 250-702-3896 and leave a message.
