Instead of folding, the Elves Club is changing how it delivers Christmas to those in need on the Sunshine Coast this year.
President Lynn Nestman said that, after a lot of soul searching, she decided she just couldn’t step away and leave a board of three new members to pick up the pieces so close to Christmas.
“So myself and my whole board, we are all going to stay on during the transition to a new system,” Nestman said.
Instead of packing hundreds of hampers with gifts and food this year, the Elves Club is launching a new Elves Club Christmas Card Program.
The club will accept gifts of cash or gift cards instead of toys and food and distribute whatever gift cards and cash it collects via envelopes in early December.
“That way people can go out and shop and pick out what they want and it takes away the hugeness of the undertaking and streamlines it a lot for us,” Nestman said.
She noted that the Elves Club is in its 47th year on the Coast and while it might have been practical to pack 30-some hampers for those in need in the 1970s, it’s a big job now that more than 600 hampers are needed yearly.
“Maybe it was just time to update it,” Nestman said.
The Elves Club is still looking for volunteers to sit on the executive for next year and for people willing to stuff envelopes when it’s time. If you would like to help out, contact Nestman at 604-989-9575.
Depot locations will be solidified and announced soon for those wanting to drop off cash or gift cards, and application forms to benefit from the program will go out in the coming weeks to the usual locations, such as Sunshine Coast Community Services and community centres.
Nestman is excited about the new program that she hopes will be embraced by the community.
“We will basically be able to give people the money to build their own Christmas and that’s so awesome because, let’s face it, sometimes people got gifts or food they didn’t want and this way they can get whatever works for them,” she said.
