Chestermere City Council received the Gifts of Kindness 2019 report to the community for information during the June 9 Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Gifts of Kindness, previously own as Christmas with Dignity, underwent a rebrand in 2019 to move away from Christmas, to be more inclusive of the local demographic, reflect the year-round fundraising, and to showcase to residents the funds can be accessed throughout the year.
“Gifts of Kindness can best be described as a fund that we use to fill any gaps in services that Chestermere residents may be experiencing and can be accessed by Chestermere residents who are facing difficult socioeconomic situations,” said Community Wellness Facilitator Community & People, Nicole Madamesila.
With the assistance of community groups, local organizations, and Community Support Services through the City of Chestermere fundraisers occur multiple times throughout the year.
“Each year Gifts of Kindness funds are directed into areas based on needs in the community,” Madamesila said.
Fundraising efforts included the Good Food Box, Backpack Program, Christmas Hampers, and Holiday Packs.
In November and December, the Community Supports Services team increases fundraising efforts for the Gifts of Kindness Holiday Campaign.
“The Kids’ Holiday Store is the most anticipated fundraising event that we hold during the holiday campaign,” Madamesila said.
In 2019, the City of Chestermere partnered with the Chestermere Regional Community Association (CRCA) to host the tenth annual Kids’ Holiday Store.
The Kids’ Holiday Store had over 200 little shoppers, over 100 gifts were wrapped, and 17 children were sponsored who otherwise would have not been able to attend the event.
“The funds rely exclusively on fundraising donations. We simply could not operate it without the generosity of our community,” Madamesila said.
In 2019, the Kids’ Holiday Store had a fundraising goal of $18,000, and $12,970 was collected.
“We received $18,475 of in-kind donations, which was an incredible gift and really allowed us to raise the $13,000 in November and December,” Madamesila said.
“The decrease in monetary donations in 2019 was something we expected given the economic climate last year. Although we saw fewer donations from local businesses in 2019, they remain integral to the fund’s success year after year,” she said.
“The high level of in-kind donations was representative of recent trends that we’re seeing,” she added. “When people have less money to give to charity, they compensate with providing material donations, as well as their time.”
The funds raised through various events assists community members who require assistance meeting basic needs such as rent, transportation, utilities, personal essentials, and women in crisis.
The Gifts of Kindness funding allowed the city to financially support community members by fulfilling 37 requests relating to basic needs, with a total of 178 individuals helped.
The city data indicated that the majority of donations were used to support residents to avoid utility disconnections, women in crisis, general basic needs, personal essentials for seniors, transportation to work, and rent to avoid eviction.
In 2019, the total cost of the requests was $6,699, which was an approximate 50 per cent decrease from $11,292 in 2018.
Moving forward, community involvement remains a top priority for Gifts of Kindness.
“By enlisting the community and addressing the needs of fellow residents our community becomes more resilient,” Madamesila said.
“Our team will be utilizing the results of the community social needs assessment that has been going on early this year to inform the priority areas that we will direct the Gifts of Kindness funds to,” she said.
The Community Support Services team have been reassessing the fundraising strategies for 2020-2021, as the fundraising plans originally organized were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have been working on new fundraising initiatives that take into consideration the precautions that we have all been adjusting to the last few months,” Madamesila said.
“Our team will be reviewing community engagement strategies, and community communication methods, to increase donations to Gifts of Kindness and gain the communities awareness of the name change,” she said.
Adding, “We are also working to implement a new online donation platform to help streamline the online donation process.”
