It is an especially hard time to be without resources over the holidays and it is always heartwarming to see the community come together in the spirit of giving.

In reviewing the needs of the families, we work with, we have considered the impact of the COVID pandemic and rising prices at the grocery store and for other basic needs. Families struggle to make ends meet. We have been exploring how best we can support these families to celebrate the holidays as they want to and care for their loved ones all year round. We are considering how to create a year-round giving opportunity through local partnerships and sponsorships.

To meet the immediate need for this holiday season, we thought about how to ensure that families could enjoy the season with dignity and gratitude for the generosity of others, while making choices that work for their families. We looked at emerging best practices regarding poverty reduction in the non-profit sector and found that most are moving away from a "charity" model and looking for ways to empower and support families to be more self-determined.

The York Region Children’s Fund believes that the best way that we can help is to offer a range of options that each family can access, allowing them to decide how best to use the gifts we collect in ways that are suited to each family’s traditions and needs.
We also want to provide donors with options that meet your interests and desire to support those most in need, particularly the children we help to take care of at Children’s Aid. For the past few years, we have transitioned away from accepting donations of gifts and goods, which come with logistical tasks related to cataloguing, storage, and distribution. Instead, we have a robust gift card program that makes it easy for our workers to distribute gifts on visits and gives families in need the autonomy and joy of choosing gifts for their loved ones.

On behalf of the families of York Region CAS, thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity. To make your donation, click on the PLEASE DONATE button which allows you to customize your gift type.