The Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) is putting together Christmas hampers for Camosun students once again. While the CCSS gives out the hampers every year, things are being done a little differently in light on the COVID-19 crisis this year: students won’t pick up the hampers on campus, instead, the student society has about 20 drivers who will bring the hampers to the students. The hampers consist of a pre-cooked frozen turkey (prepared by Camosun’s Culinary Arts department), veggies, and perishable food.
CCSS member services coordinator Christine Desrochers says that the biggest hurdle was figuring out how to get the hampers into students’ hands, but Camosun College staff quickly stepped up to be delivery drivers. Desrochers’ goal was trying to make sure that Camosun students have a good Christmas and have food; she went shopping in grocery stores around town to fill the hampers. As member services coordinator, she sees the impacts of students not having enough to make ends meet; the student society’s food bank had to be shut down this year because of restrictions around people gathering.
“There are so many students who rely on our food bank on a day-to-day basis; I see it every day,” she says. “Knowing these students don’t have access to our food bank every day is really hard. Sometimes I get lucky and I find a manager here or there, that, if I see a sale, I’m like, ‘Okay, I need 108 of these. Can you pull them aside and I’ll come pick them up on another day?’”
The manager at the Thrifty Foods at Hillside Centre did just that, and he actually stepped it up a notch.
“He said, ‘Okay, I will donate these 20 turkeys to you,’” says Desrochers, who then took them to Camosun’s Culinary Arts department so they could make meals out of the turkeys.
And while Real Canadian Superstore had a limit on cans of soup, once they learned what it was for, the manager there gave Desrochers 108 cans at the sale price. It’s small acts like that, that Desrochers says can make all the difference.
“Keep your head up,” she says. “We’re hoping things are going to get better; reach out. If [students are] struggling, there are resources all over the college. Please reach out. I know people are on the computer all the time, but reach out and talk to a friend that you haven’t talked to in a few years, and just say, ‘Hey, how are you doing? Christmas is different this year.’”
In her personal life, Desrochers is planning on sending out Christmas cards this year, for the simple reason that getting that one piece of mail can make a big difference.
“We’re all in this together,” she says.
Students can sign up for the hampers by emailing Desrochers at ccssplan@camosun.bc.ca; the CCSS will also be sending out more information on social media about registration on Tuesday, November 24. See camosunstudent.org for more information on the student society.