Santa’s Helpers Busy in Oxford

Fifty-two children and 71 adults will be a little less hungry this Christmas thanks to the Oxford Area Lionettes.

Forty-four boxes of food including Christmas turkeys were handed out last night at the Oxford United Church hall. And all 52 kids will have gifts through the Amherst based, Christmas for Kids Committee.

The local food hampers were prepared by the Oxford Christmas Committee, a group of local Lionettes.

Committee Chair Heather MacDonald said the project started with a letter to organizations in the area asking for money and food. Then committee members bought food and packed the boxes.

Oxford Area Lions played a minor role last night. They helped to carry boxes to recipients waiting outside.

To get their names on the hamper list, needy area residents had to contact the Christmas for Kids committee in Amherst which also took applications from other food hamper programs in the county. MacDonald then picked up the names for the Oxford project.

MacDonald recalls a time when the Lionettes looked after both the toys and the food, “One time names were obtained from the schools and teachers and the Lionettes used to shop and wrap all the toys and gifts.”

Now the toys are looked after by Christmas for Kids and the Oxford Christmas Committee looks after the food.