Calgary non-profit Mamas for Mamas sees demand for holiday hampers triple
The Calgary branch of a Canadian non-profit says applications for its holiday hampers have tripled this year amid the COVID pandemic.
Mamas for Mamas Calgary is hoping to lift the spirts of dozens of families this Christmas through its holiday hamper program.
The hampers contain toys, clothing and diapers, and are gifted to families who might not otherwise have anything under their tree on Christmas morning.
In 2020, the group put together fewer than 50 hampers, but says this year they've received more than 140 applications.
“Everyone needs help," said Kendra Smith, Mamas for Mamas Calgary fundraising and community engagement coordinator. "It could be your co-workers or the people helping you in the grocery store."
Mamas for Mamas Calgary chief operating officer Megan Moore says dropping off the hampers gives staff the goosebumps.
"A few of us have cried, a few of us have gotten hugs. We just feel so grateful that we get to support these families in need," Moore said.
Mamas for Mamas Calgary partners with other local charities to provide support and run programs all year round.
Despite the name, officials says the non-profit provides support to anyone in need.
In the New Year, the organization is opening up a store in the city that will allow families in need to come in and shop for free.
Mamas for Mamas Calgary says the store will be stocked with everything that families might need, including food, diapers, strollers and other supplies.
The non-profit it will also be providing mental health services to families in need and will be running the program on a “pay what you can” model.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Tornadoes collapse buildings and level homes in Nebraska and Iowa
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump's legal drama
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.