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Christmas Bureau set for busy season after donation from 100 Women

Nov 17, 2017 | 9:13 AM

A hefty donation is marking the end of the year for one local organization and the start of the busy season for another.

100+ Women Red Deer held their fourth and final meeting of 2017 this week, electing to give this time to the Red Deer Christmas Bureau.

It’s expected the Christmas Bureau will receive around $14,000, in line with previous donations this year by 100+ Women to The Lending Cupboard, Central Alberta Brain Injury Society and Family Services of Central Alberta.

Red Deer Christmas Bureau President Teresa Kutynec says they gave out nearly 1100 hampers in 2016, and is ecstatic at receiving this boost to kick-start this year’s holiday season.

“We have to raise between $150,000 and $175,000 each year, we are 100 per cent non-profit and 100 per cent volunteer-based,” she says. “All money stays within the organization itself. I always tell people you’re helping your neighbours. There’s always at least one person on your street who’s using our program.”

The bureau’s 190 volunteers are what keep things going, Kutynec says, with 50 needed every day the organization is up and running to give out hampers.

“When our clients start shopping next Monday, I need office staff, people taking applications and answering the phones, shoppers to work with clients helping them pick out proper stuff,” Kutynec says. “We have packers that pack up the goods in black bags so the kid can’t see them and we have people working in the back going through the donations. It’s a huge undertaking.”

Applications for Christmas hampers, which include a full array of food for Christmas Day, can be submitted now. Hampers will go out December 20 and 21. Meanwhile, those whose applications are approved can begin picking up toys from the Christmas Bureau on November 20.

Applications can be submitted by residents of Red Deer, Red Deer County, Penhold and Springbrook.

“I expect numbers to be the same as last year. People are kind of settling in now, but our numbers are still quite a bit higher than they have been in the past,” Kutynec concludes. “Red Deer is [still] struggling a bit, but Red Deerians that are donating have been fantastic — they are so good whenever we call for donations of any kind.” 

Upcoming events to benefit the Christmas Bureau include the Christmas Show this weekend at the Westerner, the Christmas Wish Breakfast this Sunday at the Black Knight Inn, Stuff a Bus at Parkland Mall from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, Toys for Tickets, the Charity Checkstop from 10-4 on Dec. 2 on Taylor Drive and the Toque Toss at the Dec. 2 Rebels game.

Meanwhile, Cindy Jefferies with 100+ Women says the group’s third year was a great one, despite fundraising totals coming down somewhat due to the economy.

“There’s a lot of positive energy in the room when you’re there. People are very interested in learning about the different charities that exist in our community. Sometimes we hear from groups and we didn’t even know they existed,” admits Jefferies. “It’s a bit of community awareness and the pitches that nominators make often include a very personal story and a connection to that agency. You develop a little bit of empathy for what someone living with a brain injury might go through.”

100+ Women will kick off their fourth year February 5.

More information on 100+ Women Red Deer is on their Facebook page and for more on the Red Deer Christmas Bureau or to submit an application, visit their new website RedDeerChristmasBureau.com.