Now that the bills are being paid, the money and volunteer hours counted and the accounting coming to a completion, it can be confirmed, the spirit of Christmas was alive and well in the Energy City.
The number of Christmas hampers that went out to families who needed a bit of a Yuletide boost did not exceed previous years' total, said Char Seeman, who was serving as co-chairwoman for this past year's hamper and Angel Tree program.
"We delivered about 180, I believe, about the same as last year," said Seeman who had predicted earlier that due to population increases, they could expect more of a demand.
The demand came not with the numbers, but with the volumes.
"The numbers were the same, but we saw that the hampers were larger ... a lot of those who qualified for hampers had larger families, so more went into them," Seeman said. "There were quite a few more medium and large hampers filled out this year.
"The response from the community was absolutely awesome. The support for the toy store, which was at Trinity Lutheran this year was very strong. There were nice gifts for all young people from infants to mid-teens. We thank Trinity for taking it on this year because we couldn't use St. Giles (the usual toy store location) due to the renovations and additions that are going on there this winter," Seeman added.
Cash donations were strong for both the hamper program and the Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle and mail-out campaign.
"We received a total of $7,296.78 in cash donations for the hamper project and I'm just in the process of paying the bills now," said Seeman. The cash is used for the purchase of toys or gift cards that weren't totally covered off in the Angel Tree promotion and to complete the hampers with perishable items.
Lieutenant Brian Bobolo of the Salvation Army said their hamper distribution, which was carried out within the community campaign, numbered 35 this year.
"The kettle campaign and Christmas mail campaign brought in around $75,000. That's an increase over last year on both fronts."
The Salvation Army is turning its attention once again to the ongoing food bank program which they are in charge of in the community.
While the number of Christmas hampers didn't increase this past year, the overall pressure on the food bank is increasing.
"The hampers are being requested more frequently. Demand is growing I would say at about 10 per cent a year according to our records. Some hampers have to be topped up on occasion. We're trying to follow the Canadian Food Guide for nutrition so some of the funds go there," said Bobolo.
A good portion of the money collected at Christmas is directed to the Army's summer camps. The lieutenant said a young mothers' and tots' camp is very popular and attracts 36 to 40 mothers and their younger children every year. This is followed by a Fresh Air Camp for children, which generally attracts 15 to 18 participants and then a teen camp is arranged that will see six to 10 young people enrolled for a summer outdoor experience.
The newly-arranged Estevan shelter that provides nightly accommodation every weekend for those who don't have decent housing is supported by the SA in terms of food.
"We also ensure they have proper clothing for the weather and will help set up Social Services contacts if required," said Bobolo.
He said the community was also very generous with its volunteer time this past Christmas season.
"The kettle campaign required 265, two-hour shifts and they were all filled. About 20 per cent of those volunteers were new. That means we are seeing a healthy turnover ... new people coming on to help while a few of the long-time volunteers got a break. That's good. It's a good community program that raises money that stays in the community," Bobolo said.
