No) Kids Without Christmas

by Melissa Yue Wallace

Two brothers from Chatham, Ont., donated more than $5,000 worth of toys to The Salvation Army through their community bottle drive last December, bringing joy to children in need at Christmas.

A Happy Wish “We want to make sure all kids have a wonderful Christmas morning,” says Derek Gore. “Not all parents can afford to buy toys for their kids, so we want to help as much as we can.”

For the past 15 years, Derek and Brett Gore have raised funds for their Kids Without Christmas campaign through various community initiatives, such as participating in walk-a-thons and raffles. Their main focus in recent years has been collecting bottles and cans, depositing them for cash and using the money to purchase gifts for The Salvation Army.

“We like to give back to the community and want to make children’s dreams come true,” says Brett, who learned more about the Army through his volunteer work with the Army’s Christmas kettle program. “Our wish for the children who receive the gifts is that they are happy.”

can.” DEREK GORE

A Part of Hope Their enthusiasm and care for the less fortunate is contagious. Nicole Shaw, Chatham-Kent Ministries youth co-ordinator for the past 11

Dynamic Duo Derek (left) and Brett Gore have provided more than 5,000 children with brand-new gifts since 2010

Photo: Nicole Shaw

years, says the community generously supports the brothers’ efforts, which have provided more than 5,000 children with brand-new gifts since 2010.

“People know them well, leave bottles in their driveway, and contact them all the time to make donations of bottles and money to buy toys,” says Nicole. “They literally fill their house with boxes of donated toys every year.

“We are so grateful for their generosity and compassion for giving—which is exactly the attitude that makes this whole endeavour the blessing it is for so many,” she continues. “The children who receive the gifts have the biggest smiles on their faces, so we thank the brothers and our community for being a part of that.”

(left) Melissa Yue Wallace is a journalism graduate and freelance writer who is passionate about helping people in need and encouraging the organizations that work tirelessly to care for them. By writing, she finds meaning in amplifying the voices of people who don’t often have their stories told. Melissa lives in Richmond Hill, Ont., with her husband and twin children.

O Christmas Tree THANKS TO A UNIQUE PROGRAM, THE SALVATION ARMY IN OTTAWA SHARED THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS WITH LOCAL FAMILIES. by Heather Prystanski

always been a magical time of year for me. It’s a time to celebrate the season of Advent, waiting and building excitement for Jesus’ coming into our world, bringing light, hope and love to a hurting people. For me, it is a season of joy.

Photo: Kimberly Hoy Making the Season Meaningful When I began working with The Salvation Army three years ago, the Christmas season took on a whole new level of activity. From Thanksgiving weekend until Christmas Eve, my days were filled with Toy Mountain, Salvation Army kettles, Christmas parades and more. With all the busyness, I relished the opportunity to share the wonders of the Christmas season with individuals and families in the Ottawa area.

This past Christmas season was nothing like what I had expected it to be. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of planning for 2020, and the constant changes to restrictions made it difficult to plan too far in advance for larger-scale events.

Facing the reality of a very different Christmas, our team focused on ways that we could make the holiday season meaningful for local families with smaller initiatives instead of our traditional, large-scale events.

Impactful Stories One area we focused on was providing artificial Christmas trees along with the hampers handed out by our community and family services. In total, we procured more than 100 trees for local families.

“The pandemic made things very difficult for many people last year,” says Sandra Randall, executive director at The Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre in Ottawa, “so the Christmas trees brought joy and happiness to end a year of distress.”

As part of the public relations team, I wanted to be present as the Christmas trees were distributed in

could bring. HEATHER PRYSTANSKI

order to hear and share how The Salvation Army was brightening the holidays of those receiving assistance. Little did I know the significant impact those stories would have on me, not just professionally but also personally.

“A Gift From God” As I spoke with families as they received their tree, I heard again and again that, without the support of The Salvation Army, their family would not have had a tree, presents or a traditional Christmas dinner.

A young parent from the Bethany Hope Centre shared with me, “We were going to skip Christmas because we couldn’t afford it, but this tree and the decorations made a big difference. It’s the little things that helped make this Christmas special.”

“I didn’t celebrate Christmas last year, as money has been tight,” a person who received a Christmas tree at The Salvation Army in Picton, Ont., told me. “This year, having a tree is really going to brighten it up for the kids, and it is helping to put us in the Christmas spirit! It means a lot to me and my grandchildren.”

While I knew that there were many who receive assistance from the Army, either with food, clothing, educational or spiritual support, I was naively unaware of how something that I take for granted, such as a tree, was a luxury that some families could not enjoy at Christmas.

“My kids had been asking for a tree, and I had to say, ‘Please stop asking. We can’t afford it. Next year will be better,’ ” a mother of four children who received support from The Salvation Army explained to me. “Then we received a phone call from the Ottawa Citadel church asking if we wanted a Christmas tree. It was a gift from God!”

Echoes of Long Ago My own Christmas tree took on a new meaning for me; the twinkling lights reminded me of how Jesus’ birth brought light into the world and into our lives. Every time I placed a present or hung a new ornament, I remembered the hope, joy and love a Christmas tree could bring.

Although Christmas 2020 was unlike any I had experienced before, it reminded me of what the season is truly about. There were no fancy parties or get-togethers with friends.

We focused less on all the items that are traditionally tied to Christmas, such as shopping for presents or big gatherings with friends, and more on simply being with those who are closest to us, showing love and support in a difficult time.

Last year echoed the very first Christmas, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and a family gathered together without fanfare, supporting each other with love, joy and hope.

(left) Heather Prystanski is a divisional events co-ordinator for The Salvation Army in Ottawa.

Hope for the Holidays The 2021 Salvation Army toy run makes its way up Main Street in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Moose Jaw Express Photos: Randy Palmer,

Before the 2021 edition of the Salvation Army toy run even started its trek up Main Street in late September, it was easy to see that the Moose Jaw Cycle Association in Saskatchewan had once again come through in a big way.

Well over 500 riders lined Manitoba Street from the Fourth Avenue Bridge all the way down to Mosaic Place prior to making the trip to the Salvation Army church on Thatcher Drive. And when the cacophony of motorcycles finally quieted, you knew a lot of families in Moose Jaw would be having a happy Christmas.

Giving for a Cause “This is incredible and very emo-

Toys R Them (above) Lieutenants Lester and Almeta Ward with the haul from the 2021 Salvation Army toy run Hangers-On (right) Riders had all sorts of special passengers during their trip to the Salvation Army church Ready to Roll (below) Hundreds of riders lined up before taking part in the toy run to support The Salvation Army’s Christmas effort

tional,” said Lieutenant Lester Ward, community ministries director of The Salvation Army, as riders milled around the church parking lot. “This is the second event for my wife, Lieutenant Almeta Ward, and me. Last year was a drive-by because of COVID, but this year we have a parking lot, and the side streets are packed with bikes. The donations are unbelievable. Residents of Moose Jaw and the surrounding area have generous hearts. Even folks that didn’t have bikes were showing up an hour before with donations for children.”

Participants were asked to bring a new unwrapped toy to the drop-off point, resulting in an impressive pile of stuffed animals, games and just about anything else that a youngster would love to have under the tree at Christmas.

People also made monetary donations, and Lieutenant Lester couldn’t even get through a five-minute media interview without being approached by someone looking to add more to the whole cause.

“This is very exciting, and we’re so blessed to be able to provide a Christmas to children,” said Lieutenant Lester. “When I look at the crowd here today and the bikes, and understanding that they come from all over, it truly shows the heart and passion of the people. They never let you down and they always go above and beyond in the community. Whether it’s the Christmas kettle campaign or the toy ride, they hit limits that we didn’t even anticipate.”

“Anyone Can Help” The toys gathered will be distributed to families in a unique format that was first tried last year—a “store” will be set up in the Salvation Army church hall, and parents will be able to shop for free to pick up presents for their young ones.

“It was so well received last year and so appreciated we felt we had to do it that way again,” Lieutenant Lester said.

The toy run is just part of a yearround campaign by The Salvation Army, which includes the annual Christmas kettle campaign, to gather all they can to help families have the best Christmas possible. “It’s a great cause. All the money goes back into the community, whether it’s for food during Christmas, toys or special items that are required,” Lieutenant Lester concluded.

Reprinted from Moose Jaw Express/ MooseJawToday.com, September 19, 2021