‘It warms your heart’: Knitting group donates gift bags to Salisbury, N.B., food bank

The Salisbury Helping Hands Food Bank receives 40 Buddy Bags for local single men and fathers for Christmas.

It was a bit like Santa’s workshop at the Red Barn Gift Shop in Salisbury, N.B., Wednesday morning, but instead of elves it was a group of women who care about their community.

Five seniors have put together 40 buddy bags and donated them to the Salisbury Helping Hands Food Bank to be put into food boxes for local single men and single fathers in the area.

Buddy bags organizer Brenda Campbell said men are often forgotten about at Christmas.

“The single men and the single dads, they work just as hard as anybody else. Some of them can’t work because of health conditions and mental [health] issues and we just felt that this would be a little bit of cheer for them at Christmas because it might be the only thing they get as a gift,” said Campbell.

The donated handmade bags are full of toiletry items like razors, shaving cream, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels and face cloths.

The hope is those items will last the men at least three months to give them a break on costs.

“That way they can put more money into food,” said Campbell.

Also in the bags are slippers and wool socks that the knit and stitch group start making back in the spring.

“With the cost of living going up, up, up and wages staying the same a lot of families are finding it hard to make ends meet. So, if this helps them out then that’s great,” said Campbell.

Loretta Leaman, Marilyn Hickey, Dorothy Rogers and Kori Emmerson are all part of the group along with Carolyn LeBlanc who had to step back because of health issues.

Food bank president Laurie Stewart was at the gift shop to pick up the bags.

“All you’ve got to do is listen, everybody is saying the same thing. The need is up. Prices of groceries are up and we’re seeing the same thing,” said Stewart.

Stewart was very appreciate of all the time and effort the women have put into the program.

“This community is wonderful,” said Stewart. “All you do is look at the stuff that’s going in these buddy bags. Most of it is all handmade. These women work hard to make the stuff to put it in the bags. It warms your heart.”

Campbell said the food bank helps a lot of people in the Salisbury area.

“People can’t help the situation that they’re in,” said Campbell. “I know they’ve helped me at one point.”

Stewart said the food bank’s clientele has changed over the past few years.

“We’re feeding the working poor. We’re feeding seniors,” he said. “Two seniors, one looses a partner and they’re in their home, all of a sudden there’s no money left for groceries.”

Both Stewart and Campbell said people in Salisbury look out for one another.

“We do. We do,” said Campbell. “If there’s ever a catastrophe, someone’s house burns or if somebody’s been hurt in an accident, everybody rallies around the family.”

Campbell said the knitting group is open to anyone who can knit or crochet or is willing to learn and they’ll gladly accept donations of wool and yarn so they can get started on next year’s buddy bags.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.