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A new group in Tahsis is ensuring the Christmas spirit survives in the community

A new group of Tahsis citizens will be taking over organizing Christmas Hampers to ensure members of the community in need do not go with out
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A group in Tahsis is hoping to keep the Christmas spirit alive in the village, organizing Christmas hampers for community members. (File photo)

A new group of Tahsis citizens will be taking over organizing Christmas Hampers to ensure members of the community in need do not go without.

"Together, we approached several community organizations who were very open to aiding us, and in the span of a few days, this went from an idea to a program," said Ryan Moore, one of the three initial members of the new Nourish Nootka Sounds Neighbourhood Necessities Society (NNSNNS). "Exiting one meeting, we realized that short-term solutions were not enough. We have filed society paperwork to establish a long-term society focused on food security and providing for our vulnerable residents."

The new society, which will begin advertising in the new year while the society appoints the board of directors, aims to grow its membership and connect existing groups to pool resources and work on Tahsis's future. 

"Christmas is only one of the struggles. Food costs and availability in Tahsis are a constant worry, and without a brick-and-mortar food bank, and even the existing service reducing its availability due to, again, a lack of donations, we hope that a local initiative is what it takes to move forward long term," Moore said. 

In the past, households had to send in forms for the Christmas Hampers, which sometimes caused them to receive multiple hampers or receive one due to neighbours submitting a request without their knowledge. 

The NNSNNS strives to make it as fair as possible with an honour system. 

"We have been keeping the program relatively quiet, but we have a list of volunteers offering to help transport, sort, and deliver hampers, and have received far more donations than we expected.  Hampers will consist of more than enough food for Christmas dinner, some leftovers, including dessert, and we are making sure that dietary restrictions and preferences are being considered," they noted.

The NNSNNS says Christmas dinner should be about family, friends, and a meal that no one should have to stress over. Every child in the village will also receive a present from the society this Christmas season, helping ease the village's dependency on deliveries from Canada Post, which is currently on strike. 

"This is, at its heart, the truest of grassroots initiatives.  We are a group of community members, neighbours and friends who saw a need and through the amazing community spirit in Tahsis, were able to turn a dream into something truly beautiful in a very short period of time."

People who are interested in helping out can reach out via email: at Tahsischristmashamper@gmail.com. The group is also accepting donations for this Christmas. Donations can be dropped off at the village office Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"The Christmas Spirit is alive and well in Tahsis, and we hope this tradition continues, and we can continue this program and many others in the future. We would like to put a special thank you out to the Extreme Outreach Society from Victoria for their contributions."



Brendan Jure

About the Author: Brendan Jure

I am an Irish-Canadian journalist who joined the Campbell River Mirror in December, 2023. Before joining the Campbell River Mirror
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