Editor,
It is with sad hearts that we, the executive of Quesnel Good Cheer, announce that after 63 years in the community, we will no longer be doing food and toy hampers for Christmas for those in need of help amongst us.
As we said in 2019, with our ages and health, we are unable to do the job, and no one has come forward to volunteer their time and efforts to learn about Good Cheer and take it over. It’s a big job, and you don’t just walk in and start with no idea whatsoever.
As a charity, our funds must go to another organization of like kind, and the Salvation Army is the only one with a food bank, so that is where we have to direct these funds.
We will continue to provide baby hampers to the Pregnancy Outreach Program like we have been doing for quite some years and helping house fire victims when we hear about them.
We want to thank everyone over all the years who have donated from their time as volunteers, those who collected food and toys at work, at school, at church, at their clubs.
To those who donated too then bought at the auctions held in the workplace, those who gave from their personal income faithfully every year, even through tough times and those who gave out of their own low income to help those who needed a hand up.
You have no idea how much all of the Good Cheer volunteers were so richly blessed by the outpouring of love from the people of Quesnel. It was amazing to watch the donations pour in come December.
It is going to be difficult for all of us to stay home and not go to the Good Cheer depot somewhere after all of these years. It will leave a void in many hearts.
We want to say a huge thank you to Maple Park Mall and West Park Mall for the past 28 years that have both welcomed us in with a spot to work out of and never once charged us rent. To Save-On-Foods for stepping up to the plate and being there to supply our grocery list every year and trusting us to pay the bill, even though I never knew how much the bill would be or if we’d raise the funds to pay.
God always supplied, and the bill was always paid with money left over every year. Thank you Quesnel from the bottom of all of our hearts.
Merry Christmas to all of you and all of the recipients. God bless you special.
With love,
All of the Quesnel Good Cheer volunteers
READ MORE: Letter to the editor: Quesnel Good Cheer program helped 638 families in 2019
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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