Mountains of toys filled the entrance of the Elves Club depot. Hundreds of cardboard boxes stuffed with everything one would need for Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner filled nearly every square centimetre of the next room.
To say that this year’s Elves Club Christmas hamper drive was a success would be an understatement.
“I think we’re above and beyond this year, our hampers are fuller than I’ve ever seen them,” said Elves Club president Lynn Nestman. “We’re really focused this year on making that perfect hamper. People walking in right now are just looking at me going, ‘wow.’ So I think we’ve accomplished what we’ve worked so hard for this year.”
More than 1,500 volunteers participated in bringing a brighter Christmas to those less fortunate in the Sunshine Coast community this season. A third of these volunteers were teenagers, many from Elphinstone Secondary School.
“Elphinstone Secondary has really gone above and beyond this year. Not only in their food drive, which was five truck loads of food, by the way, but sending me 20 students every hour on the hour,” said Nestman, as volunteers busily packed hampers on Friday, Dec. 19. “I’m over the moon with what’s going on. It’s a great year. I think people are going to be so pleased to see what comes.”
Bill Perlstrom has been delivering the hampers to recipients with the Elves Club for the last 22 years.
“I just think it’s a great cause. It makes Christmas sound like Christmas. I’ll be doing it as long as I’m upright and on the right side of the grass,” said Perlstrom.
First-time volunteer Angie Dimmer said, “It’s just been amazing to see the community and how they’re getting together.”
When asked if she would volunteer next year Dimmer said, “Absolutely. It was well worth it.”
