Christmas is the time for giving and the Children’s Aid Society of Thunder Bay is hoping residents continue their generosity this holiday season.
Executive director Rob Richardson on Thursday made a public plea to help them collect 500 gifts through their annual Christmas Wishes Gift Tree campaign, which last year saw presents for 433 children collected.
The need continues to grow, Richardson said.
With the Children’s Aid Society involved with 300 families and 500 children at any given time, and upward of 200 children living in care away from their families, many would fall through the Christmas cracks if it weren’t for the program.
“There’s considerable need. Christmas is a pretty complex time and there is much need for people to be able to provide the extras,” Richardson said.
“Most of the families we are dealing with are living month to month and something like Christmas puts a lot of stress on them.”
Richardson said they are looking for gifts for children and those in care up to the age of 21.
“Mostly we want to ensure that on Christmas morning some small child gets the opportunity to open a present. That’s probably the most critical thing, so gifts mostly of toys, things that kids would enjoy because Christmas should be a really special time for all kids.”
The Christmas Wishes Gift tree campaign will be hosted at Thunder Bay’s three Wal-Mart locations. Shoppers can select a paper snowman off a Christmas tree located at the front of each store, featuring a child’s age and a suggested gift.
They then purchase the present and leave it in a bin inside the store, where it will be picked up, wrapped and delivered to a child in time for Christmas.
“Anytime we have a chance to give back to our community, we do,” said Memorial Avenue store manager Bryan Linklater.
“Hopefully we can make those kids happy this year.”
