"Providing food assistance to those in need at Christmas"
​Blessed Cupboard is a food assistance program operated by volunteers from the Shawville Bethel Pentecostal Church in Shawville, Québec, focused on providing the love of Christ to those needing help during Christmas.
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Funding comes from donations by church members, local individuals, church groups, and service clubs, while local retailers like Value Mart, Tigre Géant, K&L Dairy, and Weston Bakeries provide products at reduced or no cost.
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The program primarily distributes “Christmas Baskets” on a Friday in December, serving dozens of local families with various food items.
The 2024 “Christmas Basket” event will be held on Friday, December 20, 2024.
APPLICATIONS for Blessed Cupboard’s 2024 Christmas Basket (a.k.a. Christmas Hamper), food assistance can be submitted ONLINE by clicking HERE.
People without Internet access are invited to apply via VOICEMAIL at 819-665-0444.
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Applications should be submitted by December 14, 2024.
“CHRISTMAS BASKET” CONTENTS
All Blessed Cupboard Christmas Baskets contain a frozen turkey {or chicken}, potatoes, bread, milk and eggs. The amount of potatoes, bread, milk and eggs depends on the size of the recipient family.
In addition, each Christmas Basket contains two substantial boxes of canned and packaged foodstuffs, each in a different size relative to the family size.
LOCATION
More information to Come
DONATIONS
Blessed Cupboard originated with Bethel congregants donating food for those in need, but we now encourage financial contributions instead. There are several reasons for this shift:
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1. Local retailers provide advance notice of sales and may offer discounts or donate food, which means a dollar goes further when spent directly by Blessed Cupboard.
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2. Purchasing food allows us to efficiently assemble Christmas Basket boxes in required quantities, whereas donated items create inconsistencies that require extra effort to balance.
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3. Monetary donations receive charitable receipts recognized by the CRA, and since Blessed Cupboard is a ministry of Shawville Bethel Pentecostal Church, all receipts are issued through the church.
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4. Financial contributions also help avoid the issue of expired food items, which can complicate distribution.
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While we prefer financial donations, we still appreciate food donations. Contributions can be sent by check to “Blessed Cupboard,” c/o Shawville Bethel Pentecostal Church, PO Box 7, Shawville, Québec J0X 2Y0.