Help Vancouver Families This Holiday Season
With just one week left to go until Christmas, many Vancouver moms are feeling the time pressure. We can relate. We also know, however, that this time of year is about more than shopping, baking and running errands. If you’d like to help other Vancouver families to have a happy holiday season, there’s still time to help. Today, we’re highlighting three local organizations working hard to make the season just a little brighter for everyone.
Lend a Helping Hand This Holiday Season
Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society works hard all year long to fulfill its mission of empowering people to nourish themselves. It does this by providing access to healthy food, education and training to over 28,000 people each week. 26% of those people are children. The food bank serves the region through 15 food depots and more than 100 community agencies in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster. Each year, it moves over eight million pounds of food through its warehouse. While you’re out doing your holiday shopping, consider picking up some of their most-needed items and dropping them in the donation box you’ll find at most grocery stores. They particularly appreciate canned fish, meat and beans, natural peanut butter, whole wheat pasta and rice, hearty soups, stews and chili, and infant formula and diapers. Or donate cash – for every dollar you donate, they can buy three dollars worth of food. You’ll be helping to feed Vancouver’s neediest families not just over the holidays, but all year long.
More info: www.foodbank.bc.ca
Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau
Since 1930 the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau has been making the holiday season happier for Vancouver children. It serves as a centralized toy warehouse, where toys can be gathered, sorted and shipped to 12 local Christmas bureaus. In 2011, they shipped more than 100,000 toys to local children. You can help by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to the donation bins located at many Vancouver firehalls, as well as Oakridge. Some of the top toys on local kids’ wish lists include tricycles, blocks, play doh, games, musical instruments, cars and trains and art supplies. Older kids and teenagers appreciate sporting equipment, puzzles, headphones, books, Barbies, Lego and tickets to concerts and sporting events.
More info: www.lmcb.ca
Family Services of Greater Vancouver
Family Services of Greater Vancouver has been providing social services to local children, youth, adults and families since 1928. Their goal is to help build brighter tomorrows by providing abuse prevention and trauma treatment, addictions treatment, adoption services, counselling, immigrant services, family and parenting services and a whole lot more. Today they provide services at 20 locations in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster and Surrey in 30 different languages. One of the ways they help local families over the holiday season is with Christmas hampers. These hampers help support underprivileged children, youth and families through food and clothing vouchers to help them meet their daily needs over the holiday season and beyond. 100% of all donations to the Christmas Hamper Fund go directly to recipients.
More info: www.fsgv.ca/mainpages/ourfunders/christmashamperfund.html
This is just a sampling of local groups who are working hard to help Vancouver families over the holiday season. By contributing you will be doing your part, as well. You’ll also be setting a great example for your children, and teaching them about the true spirit of giving.
