Magrath EMS help make holidays a little more special
More than 80 children in this Alberta community will have something more to celebrate this Christmas season.
The children and their parents will fall under the umbrella of Operation Christmas Care, a program aimed at needy families living in Magrath and the surrounding area. The program, in its second year, is a shared effort of the Magrath School Climate Committee and the Magrath and District Ambulance and Rescue Service.
Just Hoibak, a member of the ambulance and rescue service, says there many families who need the extra support, especially during the holidays.
"We have a total of 24 families," says Hoibak. "Out of those 24, there are 80 children ranging in age from one to 17 years."
Each family will receive a food hamper and gifts for the children.
"Christmas is for kids and we wanted them to have something under the tree this year," says Hoibak.
The food donations were collected by students at Magrath Elementary School. Each student was asked to bring a non-preishable food item. More than 1,000 food donations were collected.
Burns Alston, co-organizer of the program, says this provided students with a good opportunity.
"We wanted to do something to help the children think of others and the real meaning of Christmas," Says Alston.
He contacted clergy in Magrath, Del Bonita and Spring Coulee to obtain a general list outlining how many families needed the support, and the age and gender of each child.
"I was given a list that breaks no confidence whatsoever," Alston says. "There are no names mentioned."
Using these lists, program organizers set out to purchase gifts for the children. More than $600 was spent on toys.
"Cost isn't a consideration when you're buying gifts for kids," Says Hoibak.
The gifts will be stuffed into the dampers along with the food and delivered to each clergy to distribute.
