Last year at the Christmas Cheer Board over 21,000 hampers were distributed across Winnipeg.

Of those, 2,866 hampers were created and delivered through the Christmas Cheer Board’s Feed-A-Family program. This program allows the Cheer Board to assist as many families in need as possible.

Each year, Feed-A-Family sponsors are made up of businesses, community organizations and individuals who are devoted to supporting families and spreading cheer during the Holiday Season. Organizations like Boeing and Charleswood United Church have generously sponsored over 50 hampers every year!

And it’s not just organizations. Each season, the Cheer Board welcomes individuals and families continuing, or starting, a tradition of helping those in need during the holidays. Last year alone, 1,200 of the 2,866 Feed-A-Family hampers were created and delivered by individuals or families. That is almost half of all sponsored hampers! Whether you chose one hamper, or many, each Feed-A-Family hamper helps to create a positive ripple effect in our community!

Sponsoring a hamper engages the community to give back while helping those in need in a very hands-on way. You choose how many families and what size of family you wish to create a hamper for.

Want to know how you can support those in need this season by being part of Feed-A-Family? Visit www.christmascheerboard.ca/ways-to-help/sponsor-a-hamper for more information and to register as a Feed-A-Family hamper sponsor. You can also call the Cheer Board directly at 204-989-5680.

KEEP YOUR HOLIDAY TRADITIONS GOING STRONG OR START A NEW ONE!!!

As we begin getting ready for the 2025 season, please read a note from our new Board Chair, Selena Leung.

In 2024, we received and fulfilled nearly 21,000 hamper applications - an unprecedented number. Because of the efforts of our donors and volunteers, tens of thousands of people across our community experienced the joy and magic of the holiday season. 

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to help us fulfill our mission, as well as those countless individual donors and businesses who contribute not only funds but toys, hampers and time invested at the warehouse pitching in where needed. We couldn't do it without any of you. Your dedication continues to make a massive impact in our ability to serve an ever-growing number of people in need. 

This holiday season, we need you more than ever. Help us make the season brighter for families in our community. Whether you volunteer your time, donate, sponsor a hamper or simply spread the word, every action makes a powerful difference.

Merry Chistmas and Happy Holidays to all!

For the month of December, coin boxes in all Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries locations across Winnipeg raised funds for the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg.

An amazing $14,472.14 was raised! We are incredibly grateful for the support as these funds will go directly toward supporting our 2025 hamper program!

News Release

December 22, 2024

Christmas Cheer Board still has more to give

Winnipeg - Back in November the Christmas Cheer Board looked at hamper application numbers and out
of an abundance of caution, decided to order more food for the coming holiday season.
“With numbers projected to shatter last year’s record applications, we ordered extra food to make sure
we didn’t run out this year.” Said Cheer Board executive director Shawna Bell, “Since then, our
application numbers have slowed down and we find ourselves in a position of having extra food hampers
(approximately 500) in the last days leading up to Christmas.”
We understand that some other organizations across the city have over-committed to supporting those
in need this season. We’d like to urge those organizations to let their applicants know that if they haven’t
already applied with the Cheer Board, they are welcome to reach out to us at 204-989-5683 to apply.
New applicants will need to come to the Cheer Board location at 895 Century St. to receive their food
hamper.”

Hours of operation leading up to Christmas are Monday Dec. 23, 9 am – 8 pm and Tuesday Dec. 24, 10
am – 2 pm. Closed for the 25 & 26, the Cheer Board opens for pickup only on Dec. 27 & 28 – 10 am – 2
pm.

“When you have what you need, you build a bigger table. That’s what we’re all about.” Said Bell. “Happy
Holidays to everyone!”

Anything left over by Dec. 28 will make it back into the community. The Cheer Board works with Harvest
Manitoba and other groups to ensure all extra food is available to those in need across Winnipeg.

The Scottish Gentleman’s Club dinner on November 29, 2024.

Christmas Cheer Board Executive Director, Shawna Bell with Scottish Gentleman's Club Members
and guest speaker Peter Mansbridge. The organization generously gifted the Cheer Board
with $10,000 towards the annual campaign.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Christmas Cheer Board! As we head in to our 105th year, we again will be located at 895 Century Street.

With a tradition of giving for over 100 years, the Christmas Cheer Board remains a community-driven and grass-roots team that delivers food, toys and cheer to people in need.

The 2023 Cheer Board season saw well over 20,000 hampers distributed to individuals and families across Winnipeg. It demonstrated an unprecedented need in Winnipeg and came with it’s own challenges. While we may have not reached every family last year, we start this year thinking about the increase of individuals accessing our resources and how to best meet that need.

As always, the Christmas Cheer Board cannot spread joy without the help of our amazing volunteers! There are many opportunities to volunteer at the Christmas Cheer Board – from taking applications over the phone or helping pack hampers in our warehouse to delivering hampers to those in need – WE NEED YOU!

We have many events planned for this year and they are coming fast! The Hamper Application Call Centre will open Tuesday, November 5th at 9 am with hamper packing for thousands of recipients starting shortly after. Pick up and Deliveries will start in December.

As we celebrate our 105th year of giving, we hope you can join us in making 2024 an incredible season!

The warehouse was filled with hampers packed with love and care in the hopes volunteer delivery drivers would soon be there. 

The Christmas Cheer Board warehouse has plenty of food hampers and toys ready to be picked up and delivered.  

There are deliveries that need to be made throughout the city, and volunteers can request the area(s) they would like to deliver to. 

There is no registration needed to be a delivery driver. Those who are interested must simply come to the warehouse (859 Century St) between 9 am and 8 pm during the week and 9 am and 4 pm on the weekend. A Christmas Cheer Board staff member/volunteer will go through the process and get the volunteers set up to make their trips!  

It’s encouraged to have two individuals delivering together and that they can comfortably lift boxes weighing 25-30 lbs.

The need for drivers is quite urgent and the last day for deliveries will be December 23. 

We appreciate all those who donate, deliver and support the Christmas Cheer Board. It’s so important that we give back to the community now more than ever. 
 

Most people would have kept driving.

One winter day, 13 years ago, Ron Paul saw the Christmas Cheer Board of Winnipeg sign and made an impulsive decision to pull into the warehouse parking lot.

“I just retired, so, I figured I better do something. So, I saw the Christmas Cheer Board sign and I just went in, and they put me to work right away,” he said with a laugh.