For 550 families and seniors in Delta not able to afford a special meal to celebrate Christmas the holiday season will be a little brighter after receiving donated food hampers on December 20, 2025, as part of an annual community support program which Deltassist administers. Containing a whole chicken or two, root vegetables, canned goods, macaroni and cheese, cranberries, cookies, candy canes and bread, the hampers of two boxes each, and three for larger families,, are filled with food gathered by volunteers in recent weeks from food drives at schools and community organizations throughout Delta. Paridon Horticultural Ltd. donated use of its warehouse north of the East Delta Community Hall on Highway 10 for receiving, packing and distribution of the 1,100 boxes.
Rotary Club of Ladner donated $2,000 as its annual contribution to this 36-year-old Christmas hamper tradition. Club member Jim Burnett has been active for many years in picking up food from food drives at schools and other centres. He and a team of Ladner Rotary members then joined hundreds of volunteers to pick up Christmas hampers and deliver them throughout Delta on December 20th to some among the 550 residences throughout Delta applying for support. photo courtesy of the Delta Optimist shows some of the many volunteers who pack boxes full of quality food donated or purchased with sponsorship funds
According to the Delta Optimist on December 15, 2025, local farmers, businesses and service organizations have once again made huge contributions of food or funds to purchase food, such as upwards of 2,000 frozen chickens, 2,700 kg of potatoes, 800 kg of onions and 800 kg of beets and 1,200 cabbages.
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| Each hamper was two boxes of food, and three for larger families, assembled in the Paridon warehouse. The 1,500 boxes fill the warehouse and these were some of the final boxes to be picked up for delivery | |
Tsawwassen Springs held a large food drive, St. Jean’s Cannery donated 500 tins of fish. Bosa Foods donated Italian food such as pasta, sauce and canned tomatoes. King’s Links Golf Course donated 3,600 Kraft Dinners. Monte Cristo Bakery donated 600 bags of ciabatta buns. Chewters Chocolates provided some sweets. Cascades Packaging donated cardboard boxes for the hampers. Bill Bates provided the truck and driver. Delta’s service clubs, such as Rotary, provided cash and the volunteers to put together all the hampers.
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| Part of a long line of vehicles leading into the Paridon Horticulture warehouse, Ladner Rotarian Jim Burnett pulls up for loading boxes by young women from a Delta rugby club. Jim has volunteered in this program for almost 35 years, picking up food from schools and community organizations then distributing the full hampers. | |
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| Jim Burnett, in his truck, with Rotarian Peter Roaf and other volunteers, Jen and Lloyd Bernabe, delivered to 18 homes in North Delta. Rotarians delivering in other vehicles to different areas of Delta were John Thomas, Lynn Cameron, Mike Story and Arthur Birk. | |
Since 1972 Deltassist Family and Community Services Society -- which organizes the entire Christmas hampers program -- has served as a non-profit organization dedicated to the well being of the people of Delta, through counselling and community-building in the form of workshops, events, senior support, outreach programs, and information services.
Paridon Horticultural Ltd. is a family-owned and operated 3rd generation farm that started in the early 1950’s growing turkeys and is now a supplier of unique, top quality plant products to nurseries and garden centers across Canada.