Loughborough Christmas Committee delivers the goods

Wilma Kenny | Jan 11, 2017

Christmas Box Time in Loughborough 

Sydenham Lion Joanne Ankers presented a cheque for $1,000 to Sue Clinton, for the Loughborough Christmas and Emergency Relief Committee. (LCERC).

For the past 28 years, the LCERC has been preparing Christmas baskets for Loughborough and area families in need. This year, 73 baskets will go out, each containing the ingredients for a traditional Christmas dinner, along with a few treats, and a book and a gift for each child. Throughout the rest of the year, the fund is available for relief in cases of emergency, such as house fires. 

Because LCERC works in liaison with Southern Frontenac Community Services by receiving referrals, and uses Grace Hall to organize the actual Christmas boxes, people often confuse the two agencies. But LCERC is a completely separate, non-profit group of only five Sydenham residents (Bev McNeil, Sue Clinton, Lisa Holmes, Jim Kelly and Peter Stewart).

It’s a great example of what can be accomplished by a few determined and hard-working individuals. All their money comes from local donations, and they provide tax receipts; it’s still not too late to send them a donation. They do call in some extra volunteers in the last week before Christmas to help sorting and packing the rows and rows of boxes that fill the huge hall.

On Thursday, December 22nd, the committee was working in earnest, assembling orders, lining up brightly coloured mittens, and boxes of toys to be ready for the special day, when families came to gather their goodies for Christmas. By 2:30, the Grace Centre Hall was full of colour, the boxes already, save for the Turkey’s and other perishable items that got delivered the next day, just in time for Christmas