The Salvation Army is putting a final push on for gift donations for children through the Avalon Mall VOCM Cares Happy Tree ahead of Christmas.
Major Pam Goodyear says they’re having a difficult time this year getting toy donations for children aged 11 or 12 and older.
Goodyear understands that it’s especially difficult to find appropriate gifts for older children, but she says there are always alternatives.
“Gift cards are phenomenal,” says Goodyear. “Toddlers are easy…but for the teens and even those 11-12, it’s a bit more of a struggle, so gift cards are wonderful.”
(File Photo.)
As a possible reflection of the difficulties many people are facing this year, donations to the annual Kettle Campaign are down across the country as well. She says donations to the Kettle Campaign go towards hampers and their food banks, and donations stay in the community where the funds are collected.
She says their downtown St. John’s food bank operates four days a week and sees about 350 families every month. She says Kettle Campaign funds raised in St. John’s stay in St. John’s, funds raised in Corner Brook stay in Corner Brook.
