MEDICINE HAT — At a certain outlet in the Medicine Hat Mall, it’s not Santa’s elves at work.
But for the United Way, the people at this location are a pretty good substitute, as they wrap gifts for money.
“It’s our second biggest fundraiser that we do in this community every year. This (gift wrapping) booth is over 20 years old,” the United Way’s Missy Fandrick said.
She adds funds raised by the wrapping booth go to various agencies, including the Medicine Hat Youth Centre , and all of the money remains in the area.
“It has a huge impact on our community. Some programs we’re funding, if we didn’t fund them, wouldn’t exist. The Redcliff Action Society… we give a lot of money to help those kids. Their programs would be dramatically decreased,” Fandrick said.
Among the volunteers on hand today were representatives with the Medicine Hat Root Cellar, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“The United Way is an organization that really supports quite a few of our non-profit groups in town. If COVID has proven anything, it’s we need those resources,” the Mental Health Association’s Shelby Haga said.
The United Way’s hoping to raise $10,000 this year, although they’re concerned that won’t happen. The fundraiser brought in only $6,000 last year, but some of the people dropping off gifts say it’s an important time to give.
“Regardless of giving to charity or your loves ones it’s the giving that’s actually what’s the most important thing. It’s not what you get its what you gave,” one man told CHAT News.
Another man said, “it’s a way to give back to the community right now.. everything’s about the community right now with the current times we’re in. So it’s great what they’re doing.”
A donation ranging from around four to nine dollar is all takes to help United Way agencies, and get your gift wrapped, “unless it’s a picture or banjo or something,” Fandrick laughed, “We’re then talking about 10 or 15 dollars, it’s very reasonable.”
And some volunteers say they’ll be back next year. Probably.
“Absolutely. 100 percent. If they’ll have us. My wrapping skills may have got us kicked out but.. so we’ll see if they ask us to come back,” Haga laughed.
The United Way will wrap up the gift wrapping both, in the Medicine Hat Mall’s wing just outside the Bay on Christmas eve.
“(Our) great partner the Medicine Hat Mall gives the space for nothing. And for this year it was 24 days rent free,” Fandrick said.
