Verona’s Christmas for Kids is gearing up and could use extra help

Jeff Green | Nov 01, 2017

For families with children attending Prince Charles Public School, Christmas for Kids can be a god-send. The group has been putting together Christmas packages for families in need for many years. The packages, which go to somewhere between 65 and 75 children each year, include new socks, underwear, pajamas, at least one new outfit, at least one toy, a book, and toiletries.

Prince Charles’ Public school is a key partner for the program. The school identifies families that might benefit from Christmas for Kids, and then approaches those families first to see if they want to participate. If they do, details about clothing size and interests of the children involved are determined and the Christmas for Kids Team takes it from there.

Packages are delivered in December.

“The packages cost from $120 to $140 per child, and we need to fund raise for those dollars,” said Nicole Van Camp of Nicole’s Gifts, one of the Christmas for Kids Committee members.
This year the committee needs extra money because one of the sources of dollars, Sisters by Heart at Verona Free Methodist Church, has disbanded.
“They used to cover the cost of socks and underwear, which is about $20 per child,” said Van Camp.

Christmas for Kids has a number of events planned for the next month, including a Christmas for Kids shopping night at Nicole’s Gifts on November 10, a bottle drive at the Verona Foodland on November 18, and a dance that raises funds for Christmas for Kids and its sister charity in the Sydenham and Perth Road areas, the Loughborough Christmas committee.

The date for the dance will be announced in the coming weeks.

Christmas for Kids accepts donations of money, un-wrapped toys and other new items, at any time. Donations are accepted during regular business hours at the Verona Hardware store, Nicole’s Gifts, and Asselstines Hardware, and tax receipts are available for monetary donations. Donation jars are also available at most stores in the Verona area.

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