COCHRANE— Celebrating the spirit of the holidays, volunteers from Newcomers Cochrane hosted a modified version of Jingle Mingle on Christmas Day.
Volunteers were eager to greet visitors at the modified version of the third annual Jingle Mingle taking place in the Cochrane Alliance Church parking lot on Friday (Dec. 25). The event featured homemade soup, fresh bread and sweet treats for guests who stopped by.
Newcomers Cochrane volunteer Paul Singh said while it was different hosting a drive-thru Jingle Mingle it was a positive experience because they saw more participants than in years past.
The day saw 29 volunteers ladle out 59 bowls of soup donated by Gourmet to Go Caterers paired with Cobs bread and treats such as teddy bears for children from the Kiwanis Club.
The event was a team effort, he said, and has only grown in popularity and scope since the inaugural celebration in 2018. The goal of the event is to bring people who are on their own at Christmas together to ensure they do not feel alone.
“We do it all as a team,” Singh said. “Everybody was helping some people were in the kitchen area, while others were in the parking lot with music.”
He added that for those who were unable to attend the drive-thru soup pick up in-person, a volunteer went to them delivering 16 meals.
The day was made all the sweeter for Joan and her husband Chris Logan who were giving out gift bags that included donations of candy canes, chocolates, knitted head bands, cookies, craft projects and more.
It was an incredible experience bearing witness to the community spirit embodied during Jingle Mingle, Logan said. She praised the volunteers who worked to ensure everyone in the community had the opportunity to celebrate Christmas Day.
“We’re delighted with this whole idea— The sense of welcome and generosity the extends to the Cochrane people, particularly newcomers to Canada,” Logan said. “I think it’s a wonderful idea that they make them feel so welcome and included.”
Logan and her husband typically spend the winter in Arizona, she said, but they were unable to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the extra time they had in town, she said they were compelled to find a way to give back to the community through volunteering.
The event became a family affair and Logan’s great-niece and great-nephew Jacey Cooch and Matthew Cooch, who hail from Calgary, donated items for gift baskets at the Jingle Mingle.
“As a family, we always have been donating to charity rather than gifting each other,” Logan said, explaining how they chose to donate the gifts they would have received to Jingle Mingle.
Logan bought the teenagers a couple of baskets and she gave them the money she would normally use to buy gifts to create gift baskets for Jingle Mingle. In total the Logan family donated seven baskets. Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie also donated three gift baskets.
“I thought that was very touching that these are young teenagers who wanted to give back,” Logan said. “It's lovely to see when young people are showing initiative to help others— I’m just delighted by their generous natures.”
Cochrane High School learning support teacher Cassi James was at Jingle Mingle to greet those dropping by with her fellow teaching staff Lisa Gordon-Reece and Carey Wilkinson-Lee and students April Bushrod, Ella Reece, Celine Yeung and Armin Sandhu.
“It was really nice to see that,” James said. “It’s so heartwarming— We had a really good turnout.”
The event marked James' first-time attending Jingle Mingle, she said, adding she appreciated how the modified event was still able to make newcomers feel included.
It is a great experience to have on Christmas Day, James said, because people were filled with excitement and cheer on what could have been a gloomy holiday due to the current COVID-19 public health measures.
“It was nice getting in touch with people from different cultures— I think it's a humbling experience too,” James said. “It’s good for the soul these kinds of events.”
