Demand way up, donations down at Surrey Christmas Bureau

In its 45-year history, the Surrey Christmas Bureau says demand has never been as high as it is right now.

This year, the charity says it received 3,600 applications from families, but amid decreasing donations, 2,400 families have been approved for hampers that include vouchers, groceries and toys.

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Karmin Dhindsa, the bureau’s program coordinator, tells 1130 NewsRadio that the demand speaks to a concerning trend.

“The need, we can clearly see, has increased in the past year. And it’s been the case year over year. A couple of years ago we saw 1,700, after that 1,900, then 2,000, now 2,400,” said Dhindsa.

“We definitely understand the circumstances. Rent has increased. Inflation has increased. We’re seeing a lot of pressure on our families and on our children.”

She says it’s likely the case for many other Canadian charities.

Dhindsa admits cutting the gap between increasing demand and fewer donations isn’t easy, and she believes even more families will need help next year.

“It’s a plea for help. We need a lot of support. Last year alone… our grocery hamper was stretched thin. We provided over $245,000 to support children and families… and this year, seeing 2,400 families, that amount will be stretched even thinner.”

“We have some situations where parents are both working full-time and they’re still under our low-income cutoff.”

She explains that the bureau desperately needs monetary donations to keep the grocery hamper fund functional.

“It’s really, really experiencing a shortage. We are also looking for toys, specifically for teens. Often when we do have toy drives, the teens are neglected. And ages 13 to 18 need a lot of support. Families have specifically asked for gift cards for teens… so they’re able to go out, join their social groups and buy something independently. It offers them a lot of choice. In addition to gift cards, we’re also asking for hygiene products, make-up products, as well as any electronics you’re able to donate.”

Some of those items include hair straighteners, blow-dryers and headphones.

“For zero to three, we’ll typically have a small stuffy, as well as a small gift, in addition to a medium and large-sized gift. The four to eight department is fully stocked. They receive a handmade bundle with a lot of little goodies, stocking stuffers, in addition to a medium and large-sized gift. And then we face a shortage for the older teen department. Nine to 12, a lot of our focus is puzzles.”

Dhindsa explains that the overall goal this year is to give families dignity over the holidays.

“Poverty doesn’t discriminate. We see a variety of backgrounds, different financial and economic circumstances, and especially this year… there are folks who’ve been quite successful in years past and this year, their small businesses are struggling, they’re needing our support. There are a lot of families going through personal tragedies, loss of children, loss of loved ones. We have folks who are on assistance. We have folks who are working. We have some situations where parents are both working full-time, and they’re still under our low-income cutoff,” she explained.

“They’re not coming to us because they want to, they’re coming to us because they need to.”

Dhindsa adds that there are cultural and dietary restrictions that need to be met when preparing some hampers, and that’s proven challenging as well.

Donations to the Surrey Christmas Bureau can be made online or in person at the toy depot at 13665 102 Avenue in Whalley. You can also drop off items at firehalls across the city.