Christmas Hope campaign kicks off in Lethbridge

Gifts donated to Christmas Hope.

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -

For the 17th consecutive year, charitable organizations all over Lethbridge are teaming up to make Christmas a little bit brighter for those who are struggling.

Christmas Hope is made up of the Salvation Army, Volunteer Lethbridge, Lethbridge Family Services, My City Care and both food banks.

“We are working together and making sure that we're asking our community to help us out, probably more than ever. Because could you imagine not being able to give a gift bundle to a child? I just couldn't imagine that,” said Michelle Gallucci, advancement director for Lethbridge Family Services.

The partners share data to show who's been helped by what agency.

That ensures no one is getting more than they need and families don't slip through the cracks.

“It’s a great model. Other cities are reaching out to see how we do it,” Mac Nichol, executive director of the Lethbridge Food Bank, said

“The biggest thing is we want to make sure that those in need are getting the services and not others double dipping and not allowing those services to be spread out to everyone.”

The agencies are also preparing to help more people than ever before.

Last year, Christmas Hope helped roughly 8,000 people, but this year, they’re expecting to help about 10,000.

That’s approximately 10 per cent of everyone in Lethbridge.

“Let's say it's 25,000 presents we need to give these children. So we're not scared, we are cautiously optimistic because the community always comes through no matter what,” Gallucci said.

The campaign isn't just looking for donations, they're also looking for volunteers to help in a variety of different roles.

“There's everything from Christmas wrapping to helping with the kettle campaign with the Salvation Army, driving deliveries. So there's a wide variety of different events coming up in the next little bit,” said Nicole Bosh, Volunteer Lethbridge membership manager.

Christmas Hope events and fundraisers will run over the next several weeks.

The agencies will be putting out numerous calls for donations to meet their goals.