Winnipeg students help Christmas Cheer Board, as requests for food hampers spike

A group of students in Winnipeg got to experience the power of giving first hand at a time when more people than ever are in need in the city.

“It’s very nice that we’re doing this as young children because it shows how we can be responsible and help other people,” said Afolabi Ajaoii, one of several students pitching in at the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg on Thursday.

Sorting donations and checking to see what members of the community have contributed, the group of students were working hard to make sure no one in the city goes without this holiday season.

Student Bradley Holfeld says it’s work he’s happy to do. “It’s really cool and it’s cool that people are going to be able to eat this winter.”

Hamper applications at the Cheer Board are already on the rise just a week after they opened, with the organization logging an increase of 20 per cent in 2024 — with 5,000 applications in the first few days, compared to roughly 4,200 last year.

As her students lined a row of tables filled with food, Diana Daoust, a teacher at General Vanier School, said these types of experiences are just as valuable as the ones students have in the classroom.

“A real life example like this is going to stick with these students long after they forget the math that I taught them,” she said.

Shawna Bell, the executive director of the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg, said the students’ youthful energy is welcome during the busy season.

“Our volunteers love having the kids in here packing,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun and they get to sort of enjoy the magic of the season through the kids’ eyes.”

Alongside sorting food and preparing hampers, students also got to put their Christmas culinary skills to the test, decorating Smile Cookies.

That’s because 2024 is the first year the Cheer Board has partnered with Tim Hortons on the campaign, with 100 per cent of the proceeds split between the Cheer Board and the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.

“If we can do a little tiny bit to bring food and to bring cheer, that’s why we’re here,” said Nazli Sharma, general manager at William Kent Family Group.

Bell says as demand continues to climb, the organization is looking for donations in the form of toys, money and food, alongside volunteer hours, adding the Cheer Board is set to rise to the occasion.

“We added more food this year, that was the primary, and we also started working with other organizations to try and really stretch out those hampers, making sure that everyone who needs them receives a hamper,” said Bell.

“There’s so many families in need during the holidays.

“When were able to help them out at such a stressful time of the year, it gives them a little opportunity to breathe and know that their kids and their families are going to have food in the house and gifts to unwrap over the holidays.”