Holiday Hampers

Since 2005, the Nelson Food Cupboard has made giving our holiday hampers an annual event. Each year we fund raise to create bountiful hampers for local families and individuals who do not have the resources to purchase their own holiday foods.

We consider our Holiday Hamper project to be essential because some social service agencies are closed over the holiday season (Christmas through New Years), and so people living on low incomes or without any incomes do not have access to the all resources they need. The hampers we offer provide enough food for people to prepare a nice Christmas dinner, as well as healthy meals for the rest of the week.

In addition, the dark days of the holiday season can be a particularly depressing time for many people, therefore an important time for people to be well nourished and to feel cared for.

Due to incredible community support, the Holiday Hamper Project is a huge success every year. In 2009, the 170 hampers we gave out to local families and individuals enabled more than 400 people to enjoy healthy foods over the holiday season. The hampers were filled with organic fruits and vegetables, free-range chickens or tofu, plenty of dry goods, Oso Negro gift certificates and books for children.

The amount of time, food and money donated by Nelson’s businesses, non-profit organizations, schools and private citizens each year is amazing. Quite a few local families and businesses’ staff get together to make up their own hampers as well, which are given out to specific anonymous families.

Everyone who comes through our door to pick up a hamper is thrilled to see the size and quality of the hampers, as well as thankful for the community efforts it took to put them all together.

If you would like to join our Holiday Hamper Team, please contact the Nelson Food Cupboard Coordinator or join on-line.