North Central Family Centre creating food hampers, activity books

The North Central Family Centre is doing what it can to help out families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Co-founder and executive director Sandy Wankel said the centre is doing a wide variety of things, including putting together 100 food hampers a week for families.

“We’re being very proactive in our services that we’re offering now. We had to shut our doors to the public that came in but we’re being very creative in the ways we do our community outreach,” Wankel said. “There’s so many vulnerable families and especially the children in this area.”

The hampers contain raw materials such as potatoes, oatmeal, sugar, flour and vegetables.

“We’re just making up to fill the extra need in the community for the families we work with,” Wankel said. “We’re making sure the elders are looked after because so many of the grandmothers are raising grandchildren.”

The family centre helps more than 100 people a day during normal circumstances which includes helping around 60 kids. Wankel said many in the community are staying inside, leaving the streets mostly empty in a usually active area.

The centre is also helping practise physical distancing by setting up dropoff times over the phone. Then families can pick up hampers at the centre’s doorstep or they can be delivered to the home if the family cannot get to the centre.

“We have so many I love yous and thank-yous through the window,” she said.

She said the program has had tremendous support from the community.

“We’ve seen so much of the best in humanity,” Wankel said. “We’ve had people from all walks of life help us in donating food.”

That includes support from businesses like Stone’s Throw coffeehouse, Sobeys and the Mosaic Company.

“I think everyone feels really good through this really stressful, scary time to be able to do something positive,” Wankel said.

The North Central Family Centre is providing activity packs with many activities for kids to do while at home. (Submitted)

The family centre has also seen teachers offer to help and donating activity packs to help kids continue to develop their reading and math skills along with some colouring books and crayons.

“We’re all pulling together and just making sure the needs are met in the community,” she said.

Wankel said the centre is also focusing on the mental health of the kids and teenagers in the community. Wankel said organizers are creating an online bingo program that will have prizes.

“Many of our staff are calling from home and checking in on the youth at least every couple days to make sure everything’s OK and just check on their well-being,” Wankel said.

She said everyone needs to come together and work as one to get through this pandemic.

“I just think it’s amazing how a little bit of kindness or going out of your way to make a phone call makes all the difference in someone’s day,” Wankel said.