Christmas basket sign up begins

The H.O.P.E. Agency will be packing their Christmas Baskets on Thursday, December 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. “Scouting for Food” starts us off with the fall Holiday Food collection. This year Youth Alternatives and other volunteers will gather and sort food. Half of the food goes to the Food Bank at the Community Federated Church and half to the Christmas Baskets program. The “Christmas Baskets” boxes are set up in the Parish Hall at Holy Trinity (Arapahoe and 7th Street). This year the pickup will be at curbside on Arapahoe. Necessary home deliveries will also be done. This year phone signup only for baskets by calling HOPE Agency at 864-4673 or the Public Health Nurse Office at 864-3311, speak to Deb. Donations of food, money and help come from many organizations and individuals.

H.O.P.E. Agency, the Public Health Nurse office, Rotary, local banks, other businesses, local schools, folks from local churches and many others participate to make this program successful. They shop locally for the food they need to buy and appreciate the help they receive. It is truly a whole community affair.

Volunteers usually fill about 100 boxes. They use the guidelines from the American Academy of Family Physicians for at least the minimum amount or type of food per person or box, with everyone getting some extra food when they have enough.  Turkeys or sliced ham, milk and bread are the main perishables they purchase with a cash donation, with the non-perishable canned and dried foods usually donated by the community. They also purchase pie filling, cranberry sauce and stuffing if they don’t receive enough, so every family can have these special holiday items. 

In 2019 they fed 104 families and 328 individuals. 

The Christmas Baskets Program started in about 1982 at NOWCAP, moved to the Elks, then to the Episcopal Church. Business status and auditing are now provided by the Episcopal Church. “Christmas Baskets” is a non-denominational program that serves anyone in need of food and has people from the whole community who volunteer to help with the setup and distribution.

The volunteers work very hard and help sort food, pack boxes and then help cart out boxes to curbside, check names off the list, deliver boxes and dispose of trash, mop the floors and set up tables. The event is a day-long affair and lots of work, which is accomplished with much appreciated gracious good humor and stamina.

Sign up at H.O.P.E. Agency, 864-4673, or the Public Health Nurse, 864-3311 through December 7. Box packing will be Thursday, December 17, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Donations can be sent to Christmas Baskets, P.O. Box 950, Thermopolis, WY 82443.

Pick up will be at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 642 Arapahoe ant 7th Street at Curbside on Arapahoe December 19, 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.