Kin Club of Vanderhoof's Santas Anonymous Project helps 142 families celebrate Christmas

Santas Anonymous, a long standing event in Vanderhoof, BC, provides families, seniors, and persons with disabilities with food and gifts for kids over the holidays. Named Santas Anonymous, with no apostrophe, it encompasses the idea that everyone can contribute and be a Santa for someone. We are all Santas.

This year, the club put together hampers for 142 individuals and families. The hampers consist of food to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Christmas. Fresh produce is provided, and gift vouchers to one of the sponsors - Four River's Co-Operative - for meat and dairy needs. Santas Anonymous kicks off with the Toy Run in September, put on by the local motorcycle club. Riders come from Vanderhoof, Prince George, and even Mackenzie to participate and donate toys and funds towards Santas Anonymous. Over the next couple of months gifts are collected at a variety of locations around town using drop boxes, and corporate sponsors help raise a lot of funds as well. Community members are a key part of fundraising; many donate funds in addition to the gifts. The Kin Club of Vanderhoof, along with any volunteers, puts together the hampers at the location of the year, usually a space donated for the term of the project, lovingly termed the Hamper House. Once the non-perishables are put together, the fun begins with sorting through toys and applications to match the donations to households. Knitted goods are donated from the ________ clubs, completing the hampers with items to keep kids warm.

On Hamper Day, the applicants can either pick up their hamper from the hamper house, or volunteers will drop off the hampers at their house, making it an accessible program for anyone in town.