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With the holiday season being just a hop, skip, and a jump away, Operation Santa is back to help families in need in Saskatoon.
The collaborative initiative is run by 16 non-profit community organizations and funders who aim to address food security in the city during the holiday season.
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Community members can contribute by taking part in the Adopt-A-Family program, which allows residents to pick the size of family they’d like to support and gives them the opportunity to make a financial or food donation.
Community members can also support the program by volunteering and donating.
Shirley Greyeyes is the organizer of the project and said that if this year is similar to 2024, they expect to far surpass their goal.
“Last year our goal was 750 families,” she said.
“We actually provided hampers to 1,100 families, 198 students, and about 100 residential school survivors, and then we donated all the extra hampers and the food to those individuals who volunteered at the warehouse with us,” said Greyeyes.
She said that the decision about which families supported by the program isn’t made randomly and families are referred to the program by the community organizations.
Greyeyes said the size of the families can be wide-ranging.
“We have families from the size of one to a family of 24 in one house,” she said.
The initiative isn’t just a one-day program either, Greyeyes said that the program will help people well past the Christmas holidays.
“So many of us are privileged enough to have a home with presents and family and tons of food, so we can give them a little bit of that through the season, and it provides food support through the holidays.
“It’s not just about Christmas, but that’s the bonus. Every single person in the home gets a gift,” said Greyeyes.
A similar event is being held in Regina this year, with the return of 980 CJME’s 56th annual Santas Anonymous.
The annual toy drive helps parents make sure there is a gift under the tree for their kids on Christmas Day.
Salvation Army Lieutenant Tim Fraser was recently on The Greg Morgan Morning Show and said that there is a growing need for donations this year.
“We understand families are struggling this year,” said Fraser.
“We’re seeing more and more families that we typically wouldn’t see because, as we know, with the increase of food costs and everything else that we’re having to purchase, families that probably wouldn’t normally ask for help are asking for help.”
Anyone can participate in the annual program by purchasing new, unwrapped toys and delivering them to donation bins scattered throughout the city. Those donation bins will be open for donations until Dec. 11 this year.
The collected toys will be gifted to children ages 0 to 12. Here is a breakdown of toy suggestions, by age:
- 0 to 2: Plush toys, bath toys, blocks, Fisher-Price, Little People.
- 3 to 8: Lego, puzzles, dolls, easy-to-read books, dress-up clothes.
- 9 to 12: Lego, board games, craft kits, science kits, sports equipment.
Cash donations are also being accepted this year. Santa’s Anonymous has a goal of raising $15,000.
More than 60,000 toys have been collected for children since the program began in 1969.
– with files from 980 CJME’s Abby Zieverink
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