A familiar Christmas tradition is making its return to Rockland in exactly one month. The Kooltech Mechanical BIG-FM Guignolée takes place Saturday, December 5th, bringing back a community-wide food and fundraising drive that hasn’t been held since 2019.
Organized by Kooltech Mechanical and BIG-FM, the four-hour event will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., with volunteers going door-to-door throughout Rockland to collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations for the Clarence-Rockland Help Centre.
Volunteers from Kooltech Mechanical will be joined by employees and supporters from other local businesses and trades. Residents are encouraged to have donations ready when volunteers arrive at their doors. Every contribution, whether it’s food or money, will help support local individuals and families who rely on the Help Centre.
There will also be other ways to contribute. Residents who aren’t home during the collection, or who are out doing their Christmas shopping, can drop off donations directly at the Clarence-Rockland Help Centre, located at 2815 Chamberland Street in Rockland. A QR code will also be available, allowing people to scan it with their phones and make a direct monetary donation to the Help Centre from wherever they are.
BIG-FM will be broadcasting live during the event, encouraging residents to get involved and keeping listeners informed throughout the morning.
The return of the Guignolée comes as the demand for food assistance in Clarence-Rockland continues to grow. The Help Centre currently has approximately 400 active household files and provides food assistance to about 1,000 people every month, including approximately 400 children.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of people relying on the Help Centre has increased by 110 per cent. New families continue to seek assistance every week, while the rising cost of living and inflation put additional pressure on household budgets.
The community has continued to show its support. Last year, residents and community organizations donated approximately 101,000 food items to the Help Centre. Despite those contributions, the Centre still spends between $3,000 and $4,000 every week purchasing groceries to keep its shelves stocked.
For its first year back, organizers are concentrating their efforts on Rockland, with the hope that a successful return will eventually allow the event to expand into the other communities that make up Clarence-Rockland.
The Kooltech Mechanical BIG-FM Guignolée takes place Saturday, December 5th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents can participate by leaving non-perishable food items or monetary donations for volunteers, dropping them off at the Help Centre at 2815 Chamberland Street, or making a contribution through the event’s QR code.
After a six-year absence, the goal is to bring neighbours together for one morning and help make the holiday season a little easier for people in the community who need a hand.