NANTON, Alta. – It seemed like such a good idea that a group of Alberta Oddfellows can’t believe no one thought of it before.
The Timelick Encampment at High River took on a gargantuan job this year to provide grab bags of activities for children in hospitals and women’s shelters. The service project has snowballed for the fraternity.
The group started preparing the gifts in March and has so far left 3,000 grab bags in hospitals and women’s shelters from Medicine Hat to north of Edmonton. They are getting additional help distributing packages from lodges in those communities.
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The idea started last year with an encampment at Erskine, in central Alberta. They service one hospital.
“We’re become a clearing house for the material,” said Kendall Allonby, a Nanton farmer who is also grand high priest for Alberta, the equivalent of vice-president for the provincial organization.
Interested contributors
Saskatchewan and Montana lodges have indicated they would like to get in on the project as well.
Each care package contains four crayons, a pencil and activity books from corporations and governments.
Kendall’s wife Joan has written or phoned about 50 corporate executives at companies like Canadian Tire, Dare Foods, UFA, Cargill, John Deere, Calgary police and other organizations. She tours agricultural trade fairs and asks people in the booths to donate.
Almost every company approached responded by providing coloring books, stickers, laminated activity sheets, bags, pencils, growth charts and small toys like yoyos. Groups like UFA provided thousands of bags to hold the gifts.
Items come in by bus, mail and courier to the farm, said Joan.
The Allonbys show the books and toys to their young grandchildren who live nearby, to see how an average child enjoys them.
“Everything is kid tested,” said Joan.
Most companies and government ministries have educational material available for children but the public isn’t usually aware it exists.
“They’ve thanked us over and over again for doing it. Providing the books is the cheap part, distributing is the hard part,” said Kendall.
The result is that Allonby’s basement is full of thousands of boxed books and activities for children. The local Oddfellows and Rebekahs gather at the Allonby farm when they have time to stuff bags for children.
Cash not candy
The largest expense for the group has been crayons. They need crayons by the caseload and must usually buy these. Cash donations help cover such costs. They can’t use donations of candy or balloons.
The gifts have been well received and are followed by thank you letters and requests to keep the bags coming.
A recent letter from the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary not only thanked them, but indicated they could use 110,000 bags a year.
The Independent Order of Oddfellows is a fraternity that started 178 years ago with the goal of providing community service and help for children in distress.
