Giving Santa and parents a helping hand

BARRHEAD - Christmas might be more than a month away, but for the staff and volunteers of Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS), things are beginning to ramp up in preparation for their annual Christmas programs, Santa's Toy Box and the Christmas hamper.

FCSS begins taking registration on Nov. 8 and runs until Dec. 6.

The better-known of the two programs is Santa's Toy Box, which ensures parents and guardians have something special to give their children (from infant to 17 years old) on Christmas morning.

Community and volunteer development coordinator Darin Flemmer wanted to avoid hazarding a guess on how long the program had been running in Barrhead but has been going on in some fashion for over 20 years.

Flemmer said gone is the requirement for people to demonstrate a need for the program.

"People can be referred or refer themselves to the program," he said.

A few years ago, before the pandemic, FCSS required residents to prove they were in need or eligible for the programs by demonstrating they met the low-income cutoff (LICO) criteria used by many federal and provincial agencies.

Although, Flemmer said people still need to go through an intake or application process.

For those referred to FCSS through another individual or organization, FCSS asks for the phone number of the referred family.

"[The application process] is more that we get an idea of their family, what their needs are, ages of the children and their likes and dislikes so our volunteers can get a better idea about the type of gifts that might suit a particular child," he said.

The other change for the Santa's Toy Box program is parents now have the opportunity, if they wish, to select the gifts for their children during pre-selected shopping days this year on Dec. 19 and 20 at the FCSS building.

However, Flemmer noted that parents still have the option of having one of the FCSS volunteer shoppers select something for their child.

The deadline to drop off new, unwrapped toys is Dec. 13.

As for the types of items Santa's Toy Box is looking for, Flemmer said there is no set answer, saying they are inventorying what people have already donated.

But, he said, often filling the wishlist for teens, especially older ones, is the most difficult.

Flemmer also noted that although the program is called Santa's Toy Box, people do not have to limit themselves to toys.

For instance, in the past, the FCSS have recommended things such as makeup and hair products for teenage girls and items that are appropriate for anyone, such as sporting goods, art supplies, toboggans and sleds, or gift cards for things such as clothing or music.

Christmas hamper

While technically a separate program, the Christmas hamper often goes hand-in-hand with Santa's Toy Box to help provide a good holiday for a family.

Hamper recipients receive their choice of turkey or ham along with a food certificate (value based on the number of people in the household) from one of the community's grocery stores to cover the perishable items such as vegetables, buns, et cetera. The Food Bank also provides a box of canned and other Christmas-themed non-perishable items, such as stuffing and cranberry sauce, cookies and crackers, based on availability.

Adopting a family

Food bank coordinator Rae Whiting said individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations can also register to adopt or sponsor families.

"Basically [by sponsoring a family], they do it all from purchasing toys and all the items needed to prepare a holiday meal," she said.

To help guide people's selections, Flemmer interjected, sponsors are given a family profile without names, with a suggestion of appropriate values of gifts, the ages and genders of family members, and a list of likes and dislikes.

To make things simpler, Whiting said what people do, at least for Christmas dinner items, is to include a gift card at one of the grocery stores for the larger items, such as the turkey or ham and perishable items, and purchase the dry items, or provide for the dinner entirely via a gift card.

Whiting also noted they realize that while people may want to adopt a family, they may not always have the resources to provide all the items for a larger family, saying they will match you with a family that matches your budget.

Other ways to help

Flemming said that throughout the holiday season, local businesses and schools will also be holding toy and food drives in the lead-up to the holiday season.

Barrhead Ford and the Red Apple also hold toy drives to aid the program. Barrhead Ford is on Nov. 13 and Dec. 8, while the Red Apple is holding its drive on Nov. 16 and Dec. 9, respectively.

For more information or to register to adopt a family, call FCSS at 780-674-3341. People can also drop off items for Santa's Toy Box at the FCSS office (5103-51st Street).

Last year, FCSS received 142 applications for Christmas programs; 52 families received Santa's Toy Box gifts and food hampers, 16 families were adopted, and 64 Christmas hampers were provided to adult applicants.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com