Holy Name Cares

Holy Name Cares Mission is to provide food to those in need in the Holy Name community.

Holy Name Cares offers food assistance to anyone within the Holy Name Parish boundaries.  Calls for help are received daily and we have a dedicated team of volunteers who prepare food hampers for clients.  Grocery gift cards are also provided so clients can purchase perishable food items such as dairy items and produce.  Clients are eligible to receive up to 6 hampers/year.  

Holy Name Cares Christmas Food Drive 2021

What is the Christmas Hamper Program?
Our Christmas Hamper Program is a seasonal program organized by volunteers of the HNC Ministry. We provide a special, Christmas themed hamper that incorporates our typical emergency food provisions, plus additional fresh produce and gifts for children under the age of 18. For many of these families, this Christmas Hamper provides the only opportunity to celebrate the Christmas season. In 2021, our program continues to provide these hampers and will continue relying on the resourcefulness of our ministry volunteers and the generosity of our supporters to provide a supportive program that adheres to COVID-19 guidelines.

Our Christmas Hampers will include our ‘regular emergency hamper’ staples, plus holiday extras, a fresh turkey/chicken or ham (or voucher), and sweets for a holiday treat.  There is always an additional strain during this busy season, especially during this pandemic, and therefore an even greater need for pantry donations this year. While we are still unable to distribute our customary grocery bags, we will continue to run our Christmas Food Drive! Pantry and Monetary donations can be dropped off at the Church during regular office hours. Monetary donations will receive a charitable tax receipt.

Please drop off items such as pickles, mayonnaise, salad dressing, mustard, ketchup, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and Christmas treats in the HNC box when you attend weekly masses or during regular Church office hours.

Please be mindful of expiration and best before dates. We begin distribution of the Christmas Hampers on November 27th.

November 6 – December 12
Christmas Food Drive

Please drop off pantry or  monetary donations
Tuesday -Friday
9:30am – 12 noon OR
1pm – 4:00pm
During the miraculous time of Christmas may you see with the eyes of a child, experience the wonder of love, and truly enjoy all
the season has to offer.
Our gratitude and best wishes this Christmas and a Happy & Healthy 2022!

How to Get Involved in 2021!

There are still ways to participate in the Christmas Hamper program at Holy Name. Although we’ve had to change our process to accommodate COVID- 19 guidelines, we are still able to carry on the tradition of providing Christmas hampers to those in need. We hope to be able to welcome back active parishioner participation next year.

  • How can you be a part of this valuable community service this year?
  • Support our Food Drive
  • Drop off donations during regular church office hours or after all weekend masses. We begin distribution of the Christmas Hampers on November 27th.
  • Donate to Purchase Gifts or Gift Cards for Teens

We will gratefully accept monetary donations for the purchase of gifts for children 12 and under or gift cards for teens 13 years of age and over. We appreciate donations to be used toward the purchase of these gifts or actual gift cards to popular teen stores of your choice. Donations or gift cards can be dropped off at the Parish Office, clearly marked HNC – Christmas Gifts.

Supporting the Christmas Hamper Progam in 2021

We will continue to include wrapped gifts in our Christmas hampers this year, but in an effort to be mindful of COVID-19 protocols, we will not be collecting gifts through our Giving Tree. We are hopeful that we will be able to return to this honoured holiday tradition going forward.

How can you help to provide gifts?
We ask that you contribute what you would normally spend on a gift in cash/cheque form, so that we may purchase gifts directly from stores.

You will be eligible for a tax receipt, if you choose this method! We will be purchasing gifts for each age category and arranging to have them wrapped by the store.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Would you like to help in an extra-special way? We are pleased to offer the opportunity to sponsor specific parts of each Christmas Hamper. Consider donating cash for Turkey/Ham (Fresh or Vouchers), Christmas Treats, Produce, Toiletries or Grocery Gift Cards. You will receive a tax receipt for your donation!

Spread the News

If you, or someone you know within our parish boundaries, is in need of support this Christmas season, please have them call our confidential Hamper Line at 403-249-7764 Ext 305 to request a hamper. The Christmas Hamper Request Line closes on  December 8th .

Volunteer opportunities

This ministry continues to rely on your assistance through cash and food donations and through your gift of time.  We thank all parishioners who support us through the year – you are truly amazing!

We welcome new volunteers at any time throughout the year.  If you are interested in volunteering with us we would love your help.  The more volunteers we have the less frequent the volunteers’ shifts will need to occur.  Please contact Marlene in the parish office.  Notices of our meetings are posted in the monthly calendar and in the bulletin.  Anyone is welcome to attend.

There are several ways to offer your time to Holy Name Cares:

  1. Callers: Callers retrieve messages left by clients requesting hampers and return phone calls to these clients to collect relevant details. This information is passed on to the deliverers. Callers may also offer advice about other community resources available. Shifts are typically one week long but can be split, and generally occur every 5-6 weeks. Messages are retrieved and returned from home at the caller’s convenience. Guidelines and resources are provided to our callers to assist them in their role.
  2. Hamper Coordinators: Using the information provided by the callers, hampers are packed according to the guidelines provided for family size. Working in groups of two, meet clients at the church, provide them with hampers and food vouchers. Volunteer shifts occur 3 times per week and volunteers can sign up for as little as one individual shift, or as schedule permits.
  3. Christmas hamper program: extra volunteers are needed in the weeks leading up to Christmas for gift sorting and wrapping, sorting of food and packing of food hampers and the delivery of Christmas hampers. Announcements of dates for these volunteer opportunities will be posted in the bulletin through November and December
  4. Bread Pickup from Co-op: Wednesday evenings, prior to store closing; bread needs to be delivered to the church the following day, and put in fridge. This position can be shared.
  5. Pantry Shelf Stocker
  6. Assisting with food drives
  7. Administrative positions, chair or co-chair, secretary, and treasurer.

Donations

Monetary donations are welcome and 100% of all donations are used toward the purchase of grocery cards or replenishing of our pantry.  As cheques are made out to ‘Holy Name Church’ please indicate that the donation is to Holy Name Cares.  Blue envelopes for Holy Name Cares can be found in your Sunday Offering envelope box.  Monetary donations are tax deductible and are included in your Holy Name tax receipt.

Donations of nonperishable food items are welcome on an ongoing basis and can be left in the bin by the elevator at any time throughout the year.  PLEASE MIND EXPIRATION DATES AS OUT OF DATE CANS/PACKAGES CANNOT BE DISTRIBUTED.  The following are food items which are staples in our hampers:

  • Soups: canned and dry
  • Chunky dinner soups
  • Beans: pork & beans, kidney beans, etc.
  • Granola bars
  • Kraft dinner
  • Peanut butter, jam
  • Canned vegetables
  • Canned fruit
  • Canned meat: tuna, salmon, chicken, ham
  • Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce
  • Crackers
  • Cereal: hot or cold
  • Juice
  • Kid’s canned pasta
  • Pasta: spaghetti, rigatoni, etc.
  • Pasta sauce
  • Rice, Hamburger Helper, Lipton Side Kicks
  • Cookies, puddings, Jell-o, cake mixes

Bread is donated by Co-op.

Other items such as pancake mix and syrup, coffee/tea/hot chocolate, baby food, snack items or toiletries are appreciated. Items which would be considered staples rather than specialty food items are most needed. Unfortunately we are unable to accept any homemade (baked or canned) food items, perishable food items or items which have been opened (unless the items inside are prepackaged i.e. individual hot cereal pouches)

By everybody giving a little bit we are able to provide for many. We would like to extend a warm thank you to all of our parishioners who give generously to Holy Name Cares so that we may carry on this important mission.

Thank you and God Bless!

A blessing on our ministry

We ask for God’s blessing upon our service to those who are hungry. May God, who gives us food in due season, bless you who are sharing this food with your brothers and sisters.

May Christ, our living bread, satisfy your heart and the hearts of all people who hunger for justice and act to make it happen.

May the spirit who teaches us to eat food that does not perish, bless you with a renewed heart to believe all are one Bread, one Body of Christ.

This day and all days, may you know the Lord Jesus in the breaking and sharing of bread. Amen