Samaritan House Ministries in Brandon is preparing for colder temperatures as we turn the calendar page to December.

Executive Director, Barbara McNish, says the need is greater for many people as the financial demands are greater during the winter months.

“Depending on what’s all happening,” she shares.  “We all know that this pandemic has put a huge amount of pressure on us.  Some of the people I know come and tell me they’re not getting as many [working] hours as they used to so they’re needing to pay their rent or their heating bill, and so food might be one of the last things that they buy.  And then with our cost of fuel going up and the price of food rising, it’s the combination of everything. And so how do we support those people who are doing the best they can?”

Mcnish shares how the entire Westman region supports Samaritan House – and thus the people who need help through their food hamper program.

 “What we do now at Christmas, over the holiday season and into January, we put in extra bonus items that we can add. Sometimes we have a donation of hamburger and sometimes from Maple Leaf we get donations of ham. So, we can do a variety of things to add to that to just make it a little bit more to help them get through the colder months.”

“If you’re struggling to make ends meet, that hamper is very much needed.  But we do try over the Christmas season, to just bump it up a little bit.”

 “The people in Brandon and the surrounding community are so supportive its so amazing!  If I give a shout out for some of the things we need, it just comes in,” she adds.

Different organizations hold their own food drive now in the festive season, such as collecting specific food groups, such as cans of soup as a bulk donation.  One of the Brandon schools did a ‘cereal drive’ where up to 300 boxes of cereal were collected and donated.

“So, there’s a variety.  There’s been no one place that does it all, but there are many places doing lots!”

Barbara McNish shares her heart:

“I just want to wish everyone a very, very blessed and merry Christmas! By your giving you are reaching out and being those hands and feet to people who have a need and Samaritan House’s mission statement says, ‘Laboring together to help those in need” and so may you be as richly blessed during this Christmas season as much as you bless us!”