Christmas is a season of giving and celebrating —especially in Burnaby. Thousands of individuals, families, businesses, unions, and community groups donate gifts and money, host events, attend pancake breakfasts or galas, have their photos taken with Santa, and more, all in support of the Christmas Bureau. Helping families and seniors in need has become a shared community holiday tradition.
One reason giving in our community has become so prominent is the generosity of the Burnaby NOW. From supporting events across the city with donated advertising, to highlighting those volunteering and donating to make Christmas bright, the Burnaby NOW helps spread the spirit of kindness that has come to define the Holiday Season in Burnaby.
Over the past few months, reporters from the Burnaby NOW have been sharing compelling stories that speak not only about the challenges of poverty and isolation, but also shine a light on what we can each do to change lives and our community. There have been articles about volunteers in our toy room with gifts for mothers, and people collecting toys with the Angel Project or helping a senior through the sponsorship program. Then there were reports about the innovative “Spend Less, Give More” campaign, and the second annual Christmas Angel Breakfast. All these and more were stories about how people have contributed in big and small ways to make the Christmas Bureau so successful. They are reminders that there is a Santa in each of us.
And we need Santa right now. According to First Call, 20 per cent of B.C. children six years old or younger live in poverty. And, according to the United Way, 10 per cent of Metro Vancouver seniors are experiencing loneliness. These are major social issues that require drastic and wide-reaching changes in our communities if we are to improve people’s lives.
There is a tendency to look at issues like poverty and isolation and think: “What can I do?” But, it is in the small acts of giving to local programs that we make the biggest difference. In thinking of someone else over ourselves, we are sharing in the love that Christmas is meant to represent.
So, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has given so generously in 2013. You have made great things happen for a child in your neighbourhood or a senior down the street. You have decided to get involved, to let change start with you, to make our community better. Thank you!
Stephen D’Souza is executive director of Burnaby Community Services, the local non-profit that facilitates the Christmas Bureau.
