As demand for food and gifts rises each Christmas, one Brandon organization is scaling back the number of items it can provide to the community.
The Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer says it will supply a maximum of 1,200 hampers from its workshop this year.
“Last year we made over 1,300 [hampers] and it was just too much for us. We were squeezed for space,” said Synthia Wright, media coordinator for the Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer.
The group occupies the former Eaton’s building at the intersection of 7th Street and Rosser Avenue, but its space is limited to around 10,000 square feet.
“We’ve literally got thousands of boxes that we have to prep and store and then get into volunteer vehicles, so space is everything for us,” she noted.
The hampers are distributed to families identified by local social services or the Brandon School Division as being in need. Individuals, organizations and businesses can also adopt a family and create their own hamper.
“Last year, we had 389 community members help adopt a family, and this year we anticipate needing 500 hampers from external groups or people,” said Wright.
The size and cost of each hamper vary depending on the recipient.
“A small family hamper typically costs around $250, while a larger family hamper can cost up to $350. We have different criteria for each family size, and anyone adopting a family is given those guidelines to ensure all Christmas hampers are consistent across the city,” said Wright.
Those looking to adopt a family or donate food are encouraged to purchase non-perishable items.
“So pantry items like crackers, pasta, cereal things that really support their food security for the holidays,” she said.
Alongside its goal of delivering 1,200 hampers, Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer is also looking for a new home by Sept. 2027.
“We’re hoping to have a community partnership with some local business that maybe has some warehouse space. We can squeeze all of our storage stuff with some indoor fencing from January to October. Put it in some corner. And then maybe we could spread out in November and December with all of our hundreds of volunteers and our pallets of food in our boxes of gifts and stuff there.”
Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer has used the building rent-free for years, but the city has plans for the property. Wright is hopeful a new location could offer 15,000 square feet to accommodate more hampers.
More information on ways to help can be found here.
