Christmas isn't far away, and with many struggling to make ends meet, an Okanagan outreach team is looking for sponsors to help bring Christmas cheer to as many families as possible.
All Are Family Outreach (AAFO) assists families from Armstrong to Kelowna with whatever help they can provide, and in recent years has done a Christmas sponsorship program around the holiday season.
"Given the struggle for donations over the last year, and the increase of people needing help, there is a very likely chance we will have more people needing help this Christmas than we will have sponsors," said AAFO founder Clary Lausnes.
The AAFO team considered not doing a Christmas sponsorship program this year, as the outreach has struggled to stay open recently.
The team is starting its search for sponsors early with the hopes that enough sponsors will be found to be able to run the Christmas program.
There are two parts to AAFO's Christmas program. The first is an option to sponsor a family, which entails paying for a Christmas meal and a few gifts for the children of the family. Sponsors get to select the size of family they think they can help.
For those who are unable to support a whole family but still want to help, the second part of the program is an option. People can provide cash or gift card donations to cover any of the families or people who don't find sponsors, "or for those families who, invariably every year, have their sponsors disappear without a trace," Lausnes said.
"If you are a person, family, team, organization, or business who would like to give some joy to someone this year, please consider being a sponsor or donating this Christmas."
To become a sponsor, get in touch with AAFO at aafoutreach@hotmail.com, or by phone at 250-503-4983.
People wishing to apply for help this Christmas can also do so by getting in touch with AAFO from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
