It’s the season of giving.
The 30 Days of Community Caring Campaign got underway this week at the Peter McKee Community Food Centre.
It brings together over 20 organizations, volunteers and those who want to help ensure everyone can celebrate the festive season with food on their table..
On Monday, the Peter McKee Community Food Centre began receiving calls from families in Greater Moncton who need a Christmas food box this year.
By Wednesday, they had already registered over 200 people for a box.
“The Christmas food box program was originally a Moncton Headstart project and Food Depot Alimentaire project, and it transferred over to the Peter McKee Centre in 2022. It is the largest community effort in Moncton during the holiday season. It involves over 800 volunteers over three days, and an aggressive fundraising campaign, needed to financially support the program,” Food Box program Coordinator Scott Babineau explained.
Two boxes are provided to each individual or family who is registered. They include everything needed for a nutritious holiday dinner, including a turkey with all of the fixings, along with a few other items that will help to provide in the days following Christmas.
Up to 1700 food boxes will be provided, which means $170,000 is needed to buy the food needed to fill those boxes.
“2025 has been a tough year providing food and personal care items to upwards of 1700 families every month in our community who are dealing with food insecurity,” Executive Director Christine Taylor said.
Fundraising events will be held during the remainder of November and in December.
If you’re attending the Greater Moncton Santa Claus parade, don’t forget to bring along a non-perishable food item. RCMP and friends will be collecting those along the route during the parade on November 22 in downtown Moncton.
The Sue Stultz and Moncton Firefighters Association will once again take part in the annual turkey drive. It will run this year from December 1 to 6 down back at the St. George Boulevard fire station.
Don’t miss the annual Moncton Wildcats “Be a Fan, bring a can” event to be held during the game at the Avenir Centre on December 5.
The Magnetic Hill Zoo will once again offer its Wild Lights display. On December 5, 6, 12 and 13, visitors can donate items or cash.
RCMP will be stuffing the cruiser full of food or funds on December 11 at the Sobey’s on Vaughn Harvey.
Anglophone East high school students and their competitive spirit will once again “Fill the bus” from November 24 until December 17.
“Most of us can’t even imagine the holidays without a Christmas dinner, but this program actually makes it happen,” Babineau added.
Christmas food box deliveries will be done on December 17 from the Moncton Coliseum. Volunteers traditionally line up in their vehicles in the parking lot on that day to help bring the boxes to the homes of those in need.
“What is my wish for Christmas? What is my letter to Santa? That one goes hungry, that every family has food. This is a big machine [Peter McKee Community Food Centre] that supports so many people. Most of us probably take it for granted that people come here. They don’t come here for something to do. People who walk in this door that are asking for support, they need help, they’re in a tough spot for a variety of reasons,” Board President Gary Jamieson expressed.
