By rdnewsNOW Staff

Making Spirits Bright

Red Deer Christmas Bureau teams up with Academy of Learning Career College for toy drive

Nov 30, 2021 | 10:52 AM

Red Deer’s Academy of Learning Career College (AOLCC) has partnered with the Red Deer Christmas Bureau this Holiday Season to help those less fortunate in our community.

Officials with both organizations acknowledge the Christmas season can be hard on families financially, especially those who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Red Deer Christmas Bureau is a non-profit organization that supports children and families in need at Christmas through mobilization of community volunteer and financial resources.

With that in mind, the AOLCC will be collecting toys at their Red Deer campus (2965 Bremner Avenue). The campus will be accepting donations from now until Dec. 21, with those donating a toy able to receive a tour of the AOLCC campus and learn more about their programs.

“We are so ecstatic to be able to give back to our community, we can’t imagine the number of families that struggled this year financially,” says Rebecca Dezall, Campus Director. “Academy of Learning puts a huge emphasis on community as we have been able to help families find new careers to better support their loved ones.”

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Officials note, Alberta saw significant job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with those looking, struggling to find work. AOLCC saw an average graduation rate across all programs and campuses in Alberta at 83 per cent, with the average job placement being 85 per cent.

According to AOLCC officials, the organization has helped over 100,000 graduates find a new career over the past 30 years.

Meantime, this is the 60th year the Red Deer Christmas Bureau has been active. Their goal is to be able to provide families with a full Christmas meal and for parents to be able to give their children gifts of toys.

“We at the Red Deer Christmas Bureau believe in sharing our culture and tradition with other members of our community. Even though some of our clients have never experienced a traditional Christmas celebration, we believe everyone should be able to enjoy fellowship, friendship, and family during the holiday season.” says a volunteer at the Red Deer Christmas Bureau.

For more information about AOLCC Red Deer, visit their website.

For more information about the Red Deer Christmas Bureau, visit their website.