Christmas in a Box extends to Clearview
A local community-based program aims to help fill the gaps this holiday season.
Christmas in a Box is prepping for its second season in Clearview Township, under the leadership of Cayleigh Jago, calling on families, donors and sponsors to sign up in order to ensure everyone has a good Christmas.
Jago has been a volunteer with the Wasaga Beach program, started by Debbie Yaniw.
Yaniw said the grassroots program began quite organically and spread by word of mouth. She had been given an extra turkey so she put a call out to the community to see who was in need of one.
The result was that Yaniw saw there was a great need in the community and she said once she saw it she couldn’t look away.
“I wanted to be able to help more of the people who responded,” said Yaniw.
That first year the Yaniw family provided more than just the turkey to a family in need of assistance. The following year, with help from friends and neighbours, six families received help, then 12.
That was a decade ago and the Christmas in a Box program has since grown to include a team of volunteers and partners who provided gifts, Christmas dinner and breakfast for 150 families last year, including 248 children.
There are now Christmas in a Box programs running in three communities, including Collingwood. They operate as separate entities, but they work together and share resources.
Volunteers have opened registration for the upcoming holidayseason.ThereisasimpleformontheFacebook page to collect information about family members, their ages, and their wish lists. Sometimes a family will sponsor another family, some people provide gift cards, or donations.
“The problem,” said Yaniw, “is that often the people who really want to help don’t have a lot of money themselves.”
With that in mind, resources are pooled to provide food and new, unwrapped gifts to the children on their list. Volunteers then assemble packages for pick-up in time for Christmas.
Yago said the program is really intended to fill the gaps for those who are not already receiving assistance from another organization.
“If you see a need you find a way to fill it,” said Yaniw.
“It nice to be able to give back in small ways,” added Jago.
Christmas In A Box Wasaga, Clearview and Collingwood is on Facebook, and Instagram @ christmas_in_a_box_wasaga.
To sign up to get assistance fill out the form for your community.
There is also a form for sponsors (individuals, families and businesses).
Questions can be sent to Cayleigh (Clearview), christmasinaboxclearview@gmail.com; Debbie (Wasaga) at christmasinaboxwasaga@gmail.com; or Paula (Collingwood) at christmasinaboxcollingwood@ gmail.com.
Donations can be made at drop-off locations including Playtime Casino and at Christmas markets at Centennial United Church on Nov. 22 and at the Stayner arena on Dec. 13-14.
Volunteers will be at Stayner Foodland from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 15. For more information on donating, visit the Facebook page.
