By Gordon Lambie
The Saint Francis Manor Christmas basket project succeeded in collecting 253 pounds of non-perishable food and $1,034.10 this past December for local charitable causes.
Organized by long-time employees Céline Delaat and Kathy Chartier, the campaign collected the food and money only from within the community of the Manor over the course of the month.
“We put out an empty box, and people put in what they can,” Delaat said, sharing that the tradition has been ongoing at the home for roughly fifteen years at this point.
This year’s donations of food went entirely to support the work of the Cornerstone Food Bank, as did $834.10 of the total funds raised. The remaining $200.00 was given to the Lennoxville and District Womens’ Centre Secret Santa program.
Over the course of the time the campaign has been run, Delaat said that various other causes have been supported, such as the Alexander Galt Regional High School Christmas Basket program, although she said that Cornerstone is the only one that has been consistent since day one.
“It’s a way of doing something to help out the community,” she said.
Although raising over $1,000 is significant enough on its own, the Manor employee also shared that $490.40, nearly half of the total, came solely through a collection of old cans and bottles that ran alongside the other collections.
