Spotlight: Christmas Bureau of Edmonton

Originally founded as a community event during the1940s, the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton has been providing meals to families in need for over 80 years. “That tradition of neighbour helping neighbour is still what we hold true today,” says Lisa Dayanandan, the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton’s Manager of Partnerships and Engagement. Although the organization has grown significantly since its early days, the Christmas Bureau still pays homage to this initial mission of spreading festive joy. “From that first person who decides to click on the donate button all the way through to that volunteer who hands over a hamper, there are so many members of our community that are involved in making that happen.”

Their food hamper program was designed to assist anyone who is unable to make a Christmas meal happen. Individuals can apply online and choose from two options: a physical hamper or a gift card. If they choose a hamper, Christmas Bureau volunteers pack and deliver packages that include a turkey or a ham, potatoes, vegetables, stuffing, and some chocolates and oranges. But the Christmas Bureau acknowledges that not all families eat a turkey or celebrate Christmas. In this case, individuals with their own festive traditions can opt for a gift card to do their own holiday shopping.

The Christmas Bureau also oversees Adopt-A-Teen, which provides gift cards to children aged 13-17. Prior to this program, most holiday gifting organizations had a cut-off of 12 years old, meaning that teens in need often received nothing. The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton addressed this gap with their new program, and are now offering Walmart gift cards of up to $75. Dayanandan notes that the organization sees these gift cards used in a broad variety of ways: on top of purchasing gifts for themselves, teens often use these funds to buy presents for their family or to supplement family groceries.

While the Christmas Bureau did see an increase in applications during the pandemic, they also note that certain COVID-19 specific government programs were in place to boost incomes. Now that the majority of these programs have fallen away, the organization is expecting a greater uptake in services, with an estimated 40,000 people in 2022. “Our programs are for anyone in need,” says Dayanandan. “You don’t necessarily have to be living in poverty. A need looks different for everybody.”

There’s so many ways to support the Christmas Bureau this holiday season and help them achieve their goal of $2.2 million. You can donate online or in person at various markets around the city, like theHand2Hand Market or the Edmonton Christmas Market at Fort Edmonton Park. They also partner with the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Institute to sell wooden toys made through an inmate training workshop. You can also attend one of their events, like their Christmas Carol concert on December 9 at the Winspear Centre!