Two suitcases, no hats, but a Santa gift box
Santa Claus Fund packages provide stress relief for families struggling to make ends meet
Atoy giraffe. That is a memory Margarita Mendez carries with her. The giraffe
with bendy legs was tucked inside a Santa Claus Fund gift box and packed alongside warm clothing and treats, all for her 3-year-old son, Miguel.
The family came to Canada as government-sponsored refugees in the spring of 1986 and they were forced to leave most of their possessions behind.
“When we came, we were just allowed to bring two suitcases for the whole family. We were living in Mexico. We didn’t have coats, clothes, hats — nothing,” said Mendez, 66, now executive director of Nellie’s emergency shelter and advocacy centre. “It was really nice having those clothes, and mittens, and a small giraffe. It was so cute.”
Nellie’s is a place of safety, where vulnerable women and children can be ggguided toward whatever the next phase in life holds for them.
During the holiday season, those clients also get a little extra gift-wrapped support in the form of a Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund gift box.
Launched in 1906, the fund was created to bring a bit of holiday magic to families who might be struggling to make ends meet. It is made possible every year through the generosity of Star readers.
This year, 45,000 gift boxes will be delivered across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Ajax and Pickering, to
“Just seeing when the mothers come to pick up those presents. You can see a level of stress is lifted off, that ‘I have this covered now.’ ” JESSICA MCEWAN NELLIE’S INTAKE WORKER
children ages 12 and younger.
The box holds a warm piece of clothing (toddlers get a fleecelined tracksuit while newborn infants get a five-piece set that includes a onesie), a hat, gloves or mittens, socks, a toy, a book, cookies and items like toothbrushes and toothpaste (age 4 and up) inside.
About 3,000 will be delivered to multiple shelters and dropins, largely in Toronto, and any surplus boxes and bulk items are also distributed to agencies helping people in need.
Mendez said there is no shortage of need in the emergency sector and among the clients they serve.
A dearth of safe-and-affordable housing combined with a lack of available support services, particularly mental health supports, means agencies helping marginalized people continue to see their client lists grow. “The women are the ones who are the experts. We are not the experts,” Mendez said.
“They are the ones who know what they have experienced. They know how much time they need for the healing and they know when they are ready to start moving forward.”
Barbara Mrozek, director of Toronto Star charities and philanthropy, said the contents of the box haven’t changed over the years.
The gifts are designed to give families a mix of comfort, joy and, admittedly, function, she said.
“Let’s face it: everyone’s dryer eats a sock and, for families who are struggling, replacing lost socks or mittens can be a very stressful purchase,” she said.
Nellie’s intake worker Jessica McEwan, 31, knows firsthand how the gift box can bring a bit of relief during what can be a trying time of year.
McEwan received a box during her daughter’s first Christmas, in 2011. She was working full time as manager of a fast food restaurant and coffee shop, and still needed social assistance to make ends meet.
“I was struggling to get by, with rent and our basic necessities. So Christmas, for me, was a little bit of a burden. It was a little bit harder for me to provide presents for her. That Christmas, I needed that extra help.”
As a preteen, McEwan and her family relied on emergency shelters.
Working at Nellie’s has allowed her to use her life experience to give back, so has her experience as a young mother struggling to pay the bills.
“Just seeing when the mothers come to pick up those presents. You can see a level of stress is lifted off, that ‘I have this covered now’.”
Having a gift also helps provide a sense of normalcy for children who have been through trauma or are in an unfamiliar environment, said Anna Morgan, the program’s manager.
“It helps them to provide a fun, exciting moment for their kids and helps provide some of the basic needs,” Morgan said.
“Kids love the toys. They remember the thing they get to play with. I just think that fun and excitement for the children is so important.” If you have been touched by the Santa Claus Fund or have a story to tell, email santaclausfund@thestar.ca.