Edmonton charities are having a hard time bringing in donations like they have in previous years, a lot of this to do with the downturn in the economy.
Santas Anonymous and the Christmas Bureau are charities that have been in Edmonton for 60 years. This year they are finding it hard with so many new applicants coming to them in need of food, clothing, and toys. The demand for toys at Santas Anonymous is 30% higher than last year. The Christmas Bureau is seeing the same kind of numbers for its food hampers.
Darlene Kowalchyuk, the executive director at the Christmas Bureau, says these numbers are being seen by many charities this season, “A lot of agencies are seeing a 45% increase in demand in their service.”
For Santas Anonymous this wasn’t surprising, they anticipated the Fort McMurray fires would have an impact this year. “A lot of people have moved from Edmonton and a lot of people have moved to Edmonton, therefore the face of our people have changed within the city and with that up goes the ask,” explained Lana Nordlund, executive director of Santas Anonymous.
While both of those charities are much bigger than most in Edmonton it is alarming for smaller charities here in the city as well. At the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology they have a hamper program for students that runs all year. Students can sign up and will receive a hamper every two months. November was already the busiest month of the season but they are expecting December to project even higher applicants.
“With the Christmas season we are finding that more people sign up at the end of the year. The economy is pretty bad and with lots of students back in school in general this time of year is high for the need of donations,” says Matthew Pecore, NAITSA Food Centre coordinator.
With demand being higher than the supply, these charities are still hopeful they will be able to give as much as they can in time for Christmas. If you would like to learn how to donate to Santas Anonoymous or Christmas Bureau visit their website for more information.
