MANITOULIN—Most stories about Santa’s helpers depict elves as cute little people wearing pointy cone-shaped caps and shoes with curled up toes. But any regular shopper at the Manitoulin Family Resources (MFR) Treasures Thrift store in Mindemoya, families that access its food bank or those who volunteer their time there will let you in on a secret: Those helpers come in all shapes and sizes and a good many of them are seniors who give their time and energy to bring good cheer to area residents all year round.
Permanent and seasonal residents alike drop off cast-off clothes and unwanted housewares at Treasures, often leaving the storage sheds billowing with donations. Week after week, a troop of regular volunteers take four-hour shifts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as Saturdays during the busiest summer months, to either sort through the charitable contributions or hang and display the wares in the store’s overflowing isles of incredible finds.
“It’s astounding what people donate,” says Terry Mackenzie, Interim Food Bank/Thrift Shop Supervisor with MFR. “We get everything from swimsuits to snowsuits and Halloween costumes, to torn teenagers’ blue jeans and hoodies, workers’ boots and parkas, and even designer gowns with the price tags sometimes still attached. There’s something for every age group, from newborns to seniors, in every imaginable size, fabric and colour. Other people drop off books, toys and puzzles or curtains, bedding, pots and pans and even fine China. Some also make home-made goods, like sweaters, mittens and toques that are so welcome in the cold winter months.”
Aside from awesome deals that delight their purchasers, the most impressive thing about all these goods is that they generate much needed money to fill the Manitoulin Family Resources Food Bank aisles. Equally extraordinary, every single penny paid for the second-hand items sold by Treasures goes directly into the food bank’s coffers, generating roughly $60,000 for food purchases each year. Few if any other non-profit groups in Canada can apply 100% of donations received for charitable work.
There is another huge group of volunteers who give their time to support paid staff employed by MFR, filling food hampers for families registered with the food bank. They spend hours sorting and storing donated food that many good folks drop off when shopping at Treasures or organizing shelves and enormous freezers for food purchased from Island wide grocers. Groceries also occasionally come from the Sudbury Food Bank, Feed Ontario and Canada Feeds offerings. Food hampers are picked up during open hours or delivered to 2,100 needy families in communities across the Island, year in and year out.
Most inspiring is the way these same dedicated—and very busy—volunteers take on the task of making sure disadvantaged families enjoy a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Each December, up to 60 enthusiastic people show up to wrap gifts that have been donated by individuals and the Lions Club Christmas Telethon or purchased for area children in need. For 2025, 324 gift bags were prepared for kids ranging in age from newborn to 17.
In addition, more volunteers unload massive piles of potatoes, carrots, onions, a wide assortment of canned and dry goods, as well as frozen turkeys and fresh hams, ground beef, bread and butter that are divvied up into food boxes and bags. The workers then assemble these goodies into 560 Christmas food hampers and orchestrate their pick-up for delivery to ensure all area families have a reason to celebrate the season.
And that’s not counting the gold-star team of knitters who work for weeks, if not months, in advance to produce hundreds of cozy hats, scarves and mitts for every age group that make their way into the Christmas bags and boxes too.
While Terry was being interviewed for this story, several people stopped by the Freshwater Community Church in Mindemoya where all this activity takes place to drop off cheques or cash donations worth up to $500 and even $1,000. In all, more than $100,000 in donations come into MFR during the holiday period. Tax receipts are provided for all donations over $20.
Colleen Hill, executive director of Manitoulin Family Resources, has high praise for the many people and organizations that dig deep every December to help others.
“The generosity of the people living on this Island is overwhelming. From the support of area businesses to the OPP and UCCM, to our community partners, the faith community and private individuals, everyone contributes to help families have a Merry Christmas. The need is now greater than ever, and the outpouring of support this year was like nothing we had ever experienced before. Together, we were able to bring not only nourishment to people but also some Christmas magic. Our hearts are full of gratitude.”
This incredibly busy time of year is both exhilarating and exhausting for the committed community members who step up to give a helping hand to those in greatest need. Terry MacKenzie says that a campaign as large as this is only possible with a group of very organized, hardworking and innovative volunteers who are dedicated to making the season bright.
Those sentiments are echoed by Ms. Hill, who says “The Christmas hampers would not happen without Terry’s leadership and all our volunteers. The preparation, procurement and logistics involved in a campaign of this size begins in late summer and continues until the last hamper is picked up. We are so thankful for all the time, expertise and love that the volunteers bring with them each day of the campaign.”
by Heather Marshall
