The Okotoks Food Bank is still looking for sponsors for Christmas hampers this year.

Sheila Hughes, Okotoks Food Bank executive director, says there are currently about 185 families registered to receive hampers so far.

However, she stresses that no one who needs a hamper will be turned away and she expects the final number of families to be about the same as last year, at 225.

"On the adopt-a-family side, at the moment, we have about 120 families adopted," she explains. "So we're still looking for at least one hundred families to be adopted by somebody in the community."

The Christmas hampers include everything needed for a Christmas dinner, as well as additional items. Sponsors can choose whether to shop themselves for the non-perishable items and then provide a cash donation for the perishable food portion of the hamper or they can provide a donation for the entire cost of the hamper and the food bank will fill it. They're currently seeking sponsors for the one-to-three and four-to-six family member categories.

Hughes points out that Christmas hampers can be just what is needed to help ease holiday stress.

"Christmas is a very stressful time of year for families," she points out. "When you're struggling with food insecurity, it becomes an even more stressful time. Providing a nice, Christmas meal hamper for a family just takes that one more thing, that they have to worry about in their lives, away."

For more information on how to sponsor a family, click here.

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