Pandemic leaves many facing bleak holidays
Henry Thai is very blunt: “This is the worst financial crisis we’ve ever seen; people really need help.”
As the Christmas season nears, the program director at the Vietnamese Association, Toronto, worries that many families with young children are facing a bleak holiday because of the economic hardship caused over the past year by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of our clients work in particularly hard-hit nonessential services, such as nail salons, that have been forced to close for much of the COVID pandemic,” Thai says. “Even now some people are going back to work, but in many cases only two to four days a week — and they still have bills to pay.”
Because of these financial emergencies, Toronto’s Vietnamese Association has requested a huge increase this year in its allotment of Toronto Star Santa Fund gift boxes. In 2020, it requested 312 boxes for children. This year it has asked for 550 boxes.
The Vietnamese Association is just one of many agencies that has seen a major jump in the number of families requesting Santa Claus Fund boxes this year.
Keisha Cooke, family resource program worker with Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, says the number of families that have registered for a gift box has doubled from last year. In 2020, a total of 357 children in 230 families received boxes. This year more than 450 families and more than 800 children have registered for gift boxes.
“People are going through a lot because of the pandemic, including unemployment, underemployment, emotional stress,” she says. “Receiving a Santa gift box is like a breath of fresh air for the children — and for the parents — to have this one feel-good moment. It’s amazing.”
This year marks the 116th campaign for the Santa Claus Fund, which will deliver gift boxes before Christmas Eve to 50,000 children from all backgrounds, from newborns to age 12, in Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and Pickering.
Since 1906, Star readers have donated to the fund to buy the gifts while community volunteers, including Star readers, service clubs and church groups, ensure they are delivered.
The campaign goal in 2021 is to raise $1.5 million.
Cathy King, head of philanthropy for the Toronto Star’s children’s charities, said her team is “finding we have a large increase in requests over last year.
“In anticipation of the greater demand this year because the pandemic was impacting more and more families struggling with financial and employment insecurities, we arranged early in the year to increase the number of boxes to 50,000 from 45,000 last year. “We’ll do our best to fill the need as much as we can,” King added.
The Vietnamese Association, Toronto, has been part of the Santa Claus Fund since 2002. The non-profit agency, which was founded in 1972 and has offices on Dundas Street West and on Keele Street in North York, assists recent immigrants and others in the 75,000-strong Vietnamese community in the Greater Toronto Area.
“We are a very lucky agency to be part of this program,” Thai says. “For many children in low-income families they are so happy and excited when they see their names on the gift boxes.
“Also, this year many of the children came here as refugees, and this will be their first Christmas in Canada, so it is really meaningful for them,” he added.
At Access Alliance, Cooke has been spreading the word about the Santa Claus Fund among many of the people the agency serves.
Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services (Access Alliance) provides services and addresses system inequities to improve health outcomes for the most vulnerable immigrants, refugees and their communities.
“We don’t turn away,” Cooke says. “When people call us, I can feel the urgency in their voices over the phone. People talk about receiving the Santa boxes in the past, the toothpaste, the toothbrush, the books and of course candy was always a hit for the children. It’s a gift that brings peace and deep kindness in this holiday season. Thank you so much.”
Rejwan Karim, manager of Access Point on Danforth, a community hub that works closely with Access Alliance, says this is “a very stressful time for many people.
Prices are rising, such as for food, and people have limited resources to spend. Receiving the gift box is a very big event for the children, many of whom may otherwise receive little or nothing on Christmas.
“We appreciate Toronto Star Charities very much for this precious support to the families in need.”
Readers over the decades have donated generously to the Santa Claus Fund. In many cases, the gifts have had a lasting impact on the lives of children and families who might be forgotten at Christmas.
For some children it is the only gift they will receive.
All the gift boxes are ageappropriate and gender-neutral and contain a hat, mittens, shirt, socks, a book, a small toy, cookies, toothbrush and toothpaste. Infants receive warm clothing and baby accessories.
It’s important to know that the Santa Claus Fund is a registered children’s charity. Every dollar donated goes toward filling gift boxes for the kids. The Star covers all the administrative and labour costs associated with the fund.
Please donate. You will be creating cherished memories for underprivileged children that will last forever.