There must be a few more turkeys in Maple Ridge.
If there are, the Salvation Army Caring Place could use at least another 10 to ensure there’s enough for this Friday’s Christmas dinner.
The Caring Place currently has six turkeys in its freezers.
“We really need to have in the range of around 16, would be ideal,” said Tim Sarsfield, with the Caring Place on 222nd Street and Lougheed Highway.
Each year, the Caring Place relies on donations from local grocers and residents to supply a Christmas meal for more than 300 people.
With the dinner in less than two days – Friday, 5 p.m. at the Caring Place – donations, both in cash or in the form of a turkey from a grocery store, are still needed.
If the Salvation Army doesn’t receive enough donations, it will have to buy additional birds to make up the difference.
Everybody’s welcome at this meal, from all parts of the community, and it is rumoured that Santa Claus also will be making an appearance.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army’s Christmas kettle campaign could use some more volunteers, two hours at a time.
Currently, the Salvation Army needs about another 800 hours of volunteers in order to get all the kettles on to the streets.
The goal this year is to raise $90,000 for Salvation Army programs throughout the year.
“If we don’t have those kettles out, then we’re not getting that money,” said public relations coordinator Amelia Norrie.
“We’re really unique in Maple Ridge because our kettles are 100 per cent volunteer-driven.”
But groups are pitching in to help and stand beside the kettles. The Ridge Meadows Flames donated an afternoon of their time collecting coins, as did both branches of Royal Bank of Canada. Brookside Realty is also helping out, as well as QuickPass employees and cadet groups. Maple Ridge-Mission MP Marc Dalton also took a turn.