EDMONTON -- It can be tough to eat healthy over the holidays, and even tougher when you've fallen on hard financial times.
That's why local farmers are teaming up with volunteers to produce healthy holiday hampers for families in need.
The Holiday Hamper Foundation will deliver customized baskets stocked with 20 pounds of fresh vegetables, gifts and a turkey to nearly 1,000 families starting this Saturday.
"We really want all of our families to feel really good about the foods that they receive," said Emily Mardell, lead for the health hampers project. "We know that when we provide fresh foods or raw foods, it's more nutritious and they can really transform it into a holiday meal that reflects their family."
While the holiday hamper program has been in effect for 16 years, this is the first year it's been boosted by fresh veggie donations from local growers.
The Edmonton Downtown Farmer's Market and Kuhlmann's Market Gardens are each sponsoring the new initiative.
"We have so much doom and gloom around us here and a lot of people don't understand how well off the rest of us might be and we think that it's time that we give back," said Dieter Kuhlmann of Kuhlmann's Garden Greenhouse.
It also marks the first year the organization has officially been recognized as a charity, making cash donations tax-deductible.
Delivery day begins at the Edmonton EXPO Centre Saturday at 10 a.m.
