Helping Local Families This Holiday Season

The holidays are supposed to be a season of celebration, but for families already trying to stretch a household budget, December can bring an entirely different kind of pressure.

Groceries still need to be purchased. Heating bills arrive. Children grow out of winter clothes. And suddenly Christmas is added to a budget that may already have very little room left in it.

Here in the Central Okanagan, there is a lovely way to make the season a little brighter for someone in our own community.

Merry Moments

The Central Okanagan Food Bank's Merry Moments program connects local families and seniors who could use some additional support with community members who want to help.

Participants become Holiday Helpers and are matched with a family or senior. Each receives a wish list or profile with ideas to help guide their shopping. Gifts might include toys and books, but they can also be wonderfully practical things such as clothing, personal-care products, household necessities and gift cards.

The goal for this year's campaign is to help 100 local families and seniors experience a brighter holiday season.

Giving With Dignity

One of the things I particularly like about Merry Moments is the way the program is structured.

The people receiving assistance aren't treated as a Christmas project.

Holiday Helpers don't meet the family or senior they've been matched with. The Food Bank protects recipients' privacy while providing donors with enough information to choose thoughtful, useful gifts.

It's a simple distinction, but an important one.

Helping someone shouldn't require them to give up their dignity.

There Isn't a Required Amount to Spend

Participating doesn't mean you have to create an extravagant Christmas.

The Food Bank says Holiday Helpers often spend approximately $100–$150 per family member, but there is no required amount.

What matters is participating in a way that works for you.

A child's book, a warm piece of clothing, something practical for the home or a gift card can all make a difference.

And if shopping isn't your thing, financial donations to the Central Okanagan Food Bank are another way to help.

Make It a Holiday Tradition

Giving can also be a wonderful way to bring people together.

Instead of doing it alone, consider adopting a family with your coworkers, neighbours, friends or extended family.

Children can help choose gifts for another child. A workplace can turn it into a team project. A group of friends could add a donation to the plans for their annual Christmas gathering.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

Sometimes the best holiday traditions are the ones that remind us we're part of a larger community.

How to Help

The Central Okanagan Food Bank is currently registering Holiday Helpers for Merry Moments.

Once matched, you'll receive information to help you shop for your family or senior. Gifts are requested by December 10, giving the Food Bank time to organize everything and distribute them before Christmas.

And if adopting a family isn't possible this year, there are plenty of other ways to help—from donating to the Food Bank to simply sharing the program with someone who may be looking for a meaningful way to give back.

The holidays have a way of reminding us that home means more than the place where we live.

It's also the community around us.

And sometimes making someone's holiday a little brighter is one of the nicest ways to celebrate our own.

Interested in becoming a Holiday Helper?

Visit the Central Okanagan Food Bank's Merry Moments program to learn more and register.