Christmas philanthropy takes all forms and all types of giving are needed, says Share Family and Community Services spokesperson Heather Scott.
But it takes a special group or individual to participate in Share's Caring Neighbours program.
For as long as anyone can remember, people who have extra to give have been matched with families who have little in the Tri-Cities, Anmore and Belcarra, and this year is no exception. Once the cornerstone of the Lions Jimmy Christmas campaign, the Caring Neighbours program, which matches sponsors with families, is now administered by Share and the deadline to sponsor is Friday, Dec. 2.
"It's a popular program," said Scott, who expects about sponsors to be matched with 300 families that have agreed to share their personal information to get gifts and food to help them through the holidays.
Scott said the early deadline for registering is important to give Share enough time to make the matches, pass on family information and allow enough shopping time before the packages are delivered Dec. 17.
"We don't let it wait too long because, like every family, they like to think they are ready for Christmas."
The Caring Neighbourhood program is a personalized alternative for groups that wish to support a family and Share provides tips on how the program works and what sponsors can expect at www.sharesociety.ca.
Families are randomly selected based on match preferences but detailed information is not provided nor does Share filter families. Scott said Share is non-judgmental about who signs up for the program and respects privacy.
But sponsors do get information such as the size of the family, the city of residence and the age and gender of family members. It's up to sponsors to decide how much they have to give and what size of a family to sponsor.
One group that consistently participates in the Caring Neighbour Program is Port Coquitlam's Riverside secondary school, which last year sponsored 86 families.
To get involved, call the Caring Neighbour Program assistant at 604-937-6966 or email [email protected].
