Rachel LeGal and Debbie Labossière spread joy wherever they go. There’s always laughter in the air when the two of them are together, but around Christmas, they really get down to business. As the volunteers leading the St. Boniface Cathedral’s Christmas Hamper program, they take spreading joy very seriously.
“We’ve been doing this for 23 years, and it started as just a few baskets,” explains LeGal. “Just today, I signed up my 110th family. The need never goes away.”
While the project is spear-headed by the Cathedral, the women are quick to point out that an entire community gets behind the hampers. “École Precieux-Sang students assemble the baskets, then they and their families deliver them over the weekend,” explains Labossière. “Businesses step up, and some people forgo gifts for each other and instead create a great hamper for a family who needs a pick-me-up. After 23 years, we see people who helped us as children taking this on with children of their own. It’s so touching.”
All of that, of course, is how things work when stores are open, schools are full of eager students and businesses are collecting donations and planning corporate giving. The pandemic has changed everything. “We really didn’t know how we were going to do this,” admits LeGal. “This year, we’re relying on groups and families to step up and take on a family in need. And lots of gift cards!”
The Compassion Network saw a need and made a $10,000 donation, with funds provided by the Soeurs du Sauveur Fund, a gift left behind by the religious congregation. What does that donation mean to the Christmas Hamper program?
“We want to provide an incredible Christmas for families. We ask them what they want and so often, it’s a mother asking for sheets for her bed, or a daughter asking for new mittens,” explains Labossiere. “With proper funding, we can cover some of those basics, but also bring some magic to the season! We’ll really miss the feeling of community we get from working together to create these baskets, but this donation makes all the difference, and the smiles on everyone’s face, volunteers and families alike, is always worth it in the end.”
Do you want to get involved this year? Contact Rachel at 204-782-7196 or rlegal6@gmail.com.
