Volunteers and Ottawa-area politicians were getting into the Christmas spirit on Wednesday at Lansdowne, by lending a hand to the Caring and Sharing Exchange.
About 500 Christmas hampers were packed up with all the fixings for a Christmas dinner and then delivered to families in need, through the program.
"I've also ways found the Christmas Exchange is a very pragmatic charity. It doesn't talk about feeding the poor or the hungry, it actually does it by putting hampers together," said Mayor Jim Watson, speaking at the event. "It's a small gesture on my part ... to come out and help."
Ottawa MPPs John Fraser and Yasir Naqvi, Ottawa MP Catherine McKenna, as well as councillors Jean Cloutier, Keith Egli and Mark Taylor were also on hand, packing hampers for the charity.
Executive director Cindy Smith says the charity needs all the help it can get this holiday season, with demand up more than 20 per cent.
"People sometimes have to make tough choices. Do I pay my bills or do I have Christmas for my children? So this will help them out a little bit," says Smith.
Smith says the charity wants to help as many people as possible but there is still a waiting list of 3,000 people.