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Newark volunteers organize mountain of donations

Newark Neighbours volunteers had a mountain of food to sort for Christmas, spread out where they could work easily and quickly in the basement of the Cornerstone Church Niagara Stone Road campus.
Newark Neighbours volunteers had a mountain of food to sort for Christmas,  spread out where they could work easily and quickly in the basement of the Cornerstone Church Niagara Stone Road campus. (Penny Coles)

Newark Neighbours volunteers have been hard at work sorting food, toys and other gifts, ready for delivery Monday to those on their list for help over Christmas.

Laura Gibson, board chair of Newark Neighbours, says the response from a very generous community has been overwhelming. Although the piles of food and toys to be sorted seemed a bit daunting, the volunteers were working quickly and efficiently.

“It’s amazing how quickly it’s all come together,” she says, with volunteers ahead of schedule by the end of the day Monday. “We’ve had a lot of help, and it’s worked out better that we expected.

With all the major food drives completed, and the list of 46 clients, including 13 families, volunteers were putting food boxes together first, before going to work sorting toys.

Families with children will receive brightly coloured Christmas bags of gifts, but parents will also be given wrapping paper and tags for anything they want to wrap, says Gibson.

“We do have more than last year, because of the generosity of the community. We’ll make sure everything is put to good use.”

NOTL Hydro staff, who usually collect food during the Christmas Parade, held a very successful food drive, which contributed to the mountain of goodies to be sorted.

The Town’s 3-in-1 donation drive also brought in some food and toys, says Gibson, remarking on the top quality of all the donations.

Clients who receive special items for Christmas dinner will also be given food boxes to last for two weeks, and if Newark has food left over, the shelves of the food bank on John Street will be filled. 

Those who receive food and gifts, thanks to a very generous community, Gibson says, “will have a wonderful Christmas.”




About the Author: Penny Coles

Penny Coles is editor of Niagara-on-the-Lake Local
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