Empty Stocking Fund: Burnaby neighbourhood home helps with reward vouchers, toys, and language companies

Burnaby Neighbourhood Home is one in every of almost 26 neighborhood organizations that obtain donations from The Province’s Empty Stocking Fund.

Article content material

Shifting to a brand new nation brings many challenges, says Sara Martinez. And he or she’s grateful to have had assist alongside the way in which.

Commercial 2

Article content material

Martinez moved right here along with her husband and 13-year-old daughter from Honduras in 2019. A 12 months later she was pregnant.

Article content material

“My nurse referred me to Burnaby Neighbourhood Home,” she stated.

“Since then, they’ve helped me with many sources. They’ve given me reward playing cards for meals, diapers, wipes, and different issues for my child. When my child was born, we began to go to the Christmas program.”

Burnaby Neighbourhood Home is one in every of almost 26 neighborhood organizations that obtain donations from The Province’s Empty Stocking Fund. The funds assist the non-profit purchase grocery reward playing cards for households at Christmas time.

“We’re very grateful and depending on the annual donation that we obtain from the Empty Stocking Fund, because it helps us to help native households and youngsters in want,” stated Burnaby Neighbourhood Home CEO Antonia Beck.

Article content material

Commercial 3

Article content material

Final 12 months, Burnaby Neighbourhood Home distributed $471,935 in vacation objects to over 3,150 folks together with 1,420 kids, 212 seniors and 500 distinctive people — that is, “those that are homeless or prone to homelessness,” stated Nelson.

The funds additionally pay for a Breakfast with Santa. “That is usually a first-time expertise for newcomer households,” she stated.

“It was so good, the youngsters had been so comfortable,” Martinez stated of final 12 months’s breakfast. “We loved scrumptious pancakes with syrup and occasional, juice. The youngsters had many craft actions to do, they had been singing and enjoying.”

Burnaby Group Providers, which is a part of Burnaby Neighbourhood Home and in addition receives donations from the Empty Stocking Fund, manages the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.

Commercial 4

Article content material

The bureau operates a toy room within the outdated Sears area at Wonderful Brentwood mall. In December, households will get to decide on three toys for every little one. A number of the toys are sourced from the Burnaby Firefighters Annual Toy Drive at Metropolis at Metrotown, this 12 months on Dec. 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“Final 12 months was so superb,” Martinez stated. “My daughter and son obtained actually, actually good presents. My daughter obtained a Monopoly sport and my son obtained some garments, sneakers, and in addition a distant management automobile. He loves the vehicles.”

Martinez is hoping to choose up one other toy automobile for her youngest and a basketball for her oldest.

“She likes sports activities, soccer and basketball. She informed me the model, however I don’t keep in mind. There’s a particular ball {that a} well-known workforce makes use of within the NBA video games.”

Commercial 5

Article content material

Martinez can also be grateful for the group’s language companies. Burnaby Neighbourhood Home receives federal funding for settlement staff who’re capable of help newcomers and immigrants. The workforce, which might communicate 10 completely different languages amongst them, gives helps to newly arrived immigrants with primary wants comparable to discovering housing, language courses and getting their kids into college.

“Once I arrived right here, I didn’t know a lot English or the tradition,” she stated. “I began with them by means of the outreach program. They join households with the neighborhood and neighborhood sources. Via them I discovered my greatest good friend. And we’re so excited to begin Christmas time with them and the Christmas bureau, too.”

Commercial 6

Article content material

For 105 Years, The Province’s Empty Stocking Fund has been devoted to creating the vacations brighter for B.C. residents who’re much less lucky. With the generosity of our readers and supporters, the fund offers cash to 26 B.C. neighborhood organizations that present meals hampers and items to kids, needy households and singles.

The 2023 marketing campaign will run from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 and donations may be made:

On-line at: https://theprovince.com/esf

By mail to: The Province Empty Stocking Fund
968 East Cordova Road,
Vancouver, B.C., V6A 1M6

By calling: 604-253-6911

2023 direct donation hyperlink.


Bookmark our web site and help our journalism: Don’t miss the information you’ll want to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and join our newsletters right here.

You can too help our journalism by turning into a digital subscriber: For simply $14 a month, you will get limitless, ad-lite entry to The Vancouver Solar, The Province, Nationwide Submit and 13 different Canadian information websites. Help us by subscribing at the moment: The Vancouver Solar | The Province.

Article content material