For the last three years, Kingston Cove Yacht Club members have been volunteering their time to spread holiday cheer with custom-sewn stockings and treats for food bank clients in Kingston.

Three years ago, Kingston Cove Yacht Club member Cheryl Graham, got the idea to start an annual project thatwould provide personal and thoughtful Christmas gifts to those in need.

Each year since, Graham has purchased red and green fabric to sew Christmas stockings for Kingston Food Bank clients. Graham also buys Christmas prints and spends hours cutting, trimming and adding iron-on backing so the designs may be easily used when volunteers decorate the festive stockings.

Volunteers often working up a “glorious mess” as one member called it. The volunteers add snowmen, tiny Santas, stars, holly leaves, Christmas trees and all manner of festive delights to the stockings before they are filled with gifts donateds.

Each stocking is an individual work of art, organizers of the event say, adding that despite their sore backs by the end of the decorating, they walk away with full hearts.