Hamper interviews start next week

The Moose Jaw Salvation Army will be holding its annual Christmas hamper interviews from Nov. 12 to Dec. 5.
The program is open to anyone who needs a bit of help getting through the holidays.
"We just want to help families have a really nice (Christmas) day," said Maj. Don Law, who has worked with the Salvation Army for the past 30 years.
People struggle for many different reasons, said Law. Whether it is caused by a job loss or a illness, everyone deserves the same help, he said.
Law believes this is a worthy cause for both the Salvation Army and the community because it focuses on people giving and receiving, and he said that is a big part of what the holidays are about.
Last year 637 hampers were handed out. Law says that number was high.
On average, the Salvation Army usually plans for 500 to 550 hampers.
The hampers come in three different sizes, depending on the size of the families receiving them.
Within the hampers people can expect to find most of the major Christmas essentials, like a good-sized turkey or ham and a tasty, sweet dessert.
For those families with children 12 and under a couple of toys are also included. "A big part of this (program) is also creating happy memories for the children," said Law.
Another way for people to get involved is through volunteering. People can volunteer to work the Salvation Army Red Kettles, offer to pick up toys, or help pack the hampers.
Projects like the Red Kettles collect a good majority of the money needed to fund the Christmas hamper program, and Law says they need around 150 to 200 volunteers each year just for that.
For more information on the Christmas hamper interviews or if you would like volunteer or sponsor, call 692-5899. The interviews will be conducted at the Salvation Army located at 175 First Ave. N.E.

Lyndsay McCready can be reached at 694-1264.

Sponsoring a hamper
Each year a good number of the hampers handed out as part of the Salvation Army's Christmas hamper program are donated by sponsors.
The cost of sponsoring a family starts at $75.
Individuals, families or businesses looking to be sponsors can either choose to donate money and have hampers donated on their behalf or customize and donate their own hampers.
"It's about people giving and receiving," said Maj. Don Law.
Law remembers one unique situation when a school sponsored a family and wanted to do more.
The Salvation Army contacted the family and asked them if they would like to see this happen and the family agreed.
For the rest of that year, the school did something special for that family once a month.
- McCready