Santa Fund off to busy start

By Mo Cranker on November 26, 2018.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker

The Santa Claus Fund opened its doors Wednesday for the first time this Holiday season and the group saw record numbers of families coming through the doors.

“We’re two days in and it’s been extremely busy,” said executive director Deanna Doerksen on Friday. “We’ve seen 133 families so far with 348 children and we have provided $15,550 in grocery vouchers to help the families purchase a Christmas meal.

“It’s been absolutely crazy busy and these are record numbers for us.”

Last year the group helped 107 families in the first two days last year and served 256 children in that time. Doerksen isn’t quite sure why numbers seem to be up this year, but says it may not be a tumbling economy.

“There’s been a dramatic increase and it’s apparent when you look at the shelves,” she said. “Going into the season I wasn’t expecting to see and increase in numbers and I think the economy has remained quite steady compared to last year.

“What I think we’re seeing is people coming out and getting this done while the weather is nice — I think we’re just seeing people accessing services earlier.”

Doerksen says the group is always accepting cash donations and is in dire need of toys for a number of different age groups.

“Anything for boys or girls 10-and-up we’re always looking for and are short on,” she said. “Our baby shelf is quite bare right now as well, that’s the zero-to-two-year-old shelf.

“We are also in dire need of board games right now. The Santa Claus Fund believes that every family should have the opportunity to play together.”

Representatives from SD76 donated 85 board games on the first day of intake this year and they have already been handed out, says Doerksen.

“We’re really hoping we can bulk up that shelf,” she said.

Toys can be dropped off at the SCF headquarters on Dunmore Road or at a number of businesses around the city, including the Medicine Hat News.

More information can be found at mhsantafund.com

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