No one should be alone on Christmas, that's why the Cochrane Immigrant Services Committee (CISC) is bringing back Jingle Mingle for the fourth year in a row.
A cup of warm soup and good company is sometimes all the spirit needs to be uplifted, especially for those who may not have a place to go this Christmas.
"This is to bring people together on Christmas Day," said CISC board member Paul Singh. "The bigger purpose is to allow newcomers to get traction in the community and meet other people, to come by and say hello over a hot chocolate, a coffee or some soup."
Singh added that many families travel back home, split up over the holidays, or simply don't have family or friends nearby to spend the time with.
Jingle Mingle aims to ensure that everyone, no matter what their situation may be, can have a warm meal and enjoy the company on Dec. 25.
The event runs from 11-1 p.m. at the Cochrane Alliance Church and will be set up drive-thru style in the parking lot to prevent too many people from gathering at once.
Event-goers can drive or walk in, grab a vegetarian-friendly, complimentary bowl of soup courtesy of Gourmet to Go along with a hot chocolate or coffee, and enter to win a prize or gift basket.
"I think most of us (volunteers) are immigrants," said Jana Husmann, a CISC board member who moved to Cochrane about six years ago. "For newcomers, it's a good way to socialize together with other newcomers."
Currently, the event has enough volunteers dedicating their time toward planning and for winter boots on the ground support the day of, said Singh.
While the committee is confident they have enough resources to ensure the success of the event, donations are welcome and can be made by reaching out to the committee at [email protected].
Event-goers are encouraged to register through Jingle Mingle's Eventbrite page to allow volunteers to better prepare for expected numbers, though it is not necessary in order to attend.
