Angel Tree low on LEGO, dolls, crafts; LFS to serve over 4,000 kids
Jeannette Rocher- 0
- 5 minutes read
As hard times have fallen on more families this year, Lethbridge Family Services is making one final push to ensure every child wakes up to a gift under the Christmas tree. By the time the Angel Tree campaign wraps up they will have helped over 4,000 children – and as Jeannette Rocher reports, it’s a significant jump from last year.
For most kids, a Christmas tree is a symbol of magic, excitement and the anticipation of what will be awaiting them Christmas morning. That’s why the Lethbridge Family Services Angel Tree campaign exists.
But according to Communications Director Michelle Gallucci, this year, some children are simply hoping for food.
“And that’s heartbreaking,” says Gallucci. Also heartbreaking, she says is the wish lists are smaller even though the numbers of families needing help is larger. This year the non-profit is hoping to help 4,064 children – 600 more than last year.
Gallucci explains that because there are 600 more children this year – it actually equates to another 1,500 gifts needed.
“The dollars were a little slow in coming in this year. We have spent over $100,000 purchasing gifts for the campaign.”
Several voluteer toy “bundlers” have also been working since October – some putting in over 20 hours a week.
“We’ve been working since October,” says Gallucci, “bundling since November, this is the last 10 days of the campaign and we seriously need some gifts. We are short on games and lego, dolls and crafts, just a lot of things because we have 500 kids left – we don’t want to give them less than the first 500.”
With the Alberta Large Cars Christmas cruise and toy run planned for this Friday, organizers are hoping this extra effort might just help them reach their goal. Lit up and decorated big-rigs will roll down Mayor MaGrath Drive South this Friday, December 15, at 6 p.m., then stage at the Enmax Centre parking lot until 7 p.m. to collect donations for Angel Tree.
“If you haven’t given a gift think about give a gift – think about filling up the trucks this Friday, or just popping in and bringing a gift. It would be so helpful,” says Gallucci.
