The Flagstaff Christmas Sharing program will look a little different this year, says FFCS Executive Director Lynne Jenkinson.

Traditionally the Christmas Sharing program looked to the community for donations of funds, food, and gifts, which required the program to find a space large enough to allow for hampers to be built for each recipient, be it an individual, couple, or a family. Hampers were filled as donations came in, but the majority of hamper items and gifts were purchased by the program using donated funds.

Coming off the success of the Emergency pandemic response program Flagstaff Informed Sharing Response Team (FIRST) ran this summer, where coupons for food or fuel were provided to those in need, this year’s Christmas Sharing will mimic that program.

“Recipients are always very grateful for the hampers they receive at Christmas,” says Jenkinson, “but often we’re not addressing individual needs, like those with food allergies, or restrictions, or those who may be vegetarian or vegan.”

She says this year, instead of food, recipients will receive coupons for food to buy what they need. “It’s empowering for them to buy the things they need.”

The coupons will only be accepted locally, and Jenkinson says she will be approaching every grocery store, meat shop, drugstore, and hardware store in the region to ensure the coupons are recognized and accepted. They will have no cash value, and can only be used for purchases.

Jenkinson says someone will meet with all registered families to go over the changes to the program with them, and will be asking them to register as early as possible.

“This is the most important year ever to follow the program guidelines and dates,” she says. The application deadline this year will be Nov. 20.

Coupon amounts will be adjusted based on the number of people registered per application, individuals will receive less than couples, who will receive less than families.

Recipients can use the coupons to purchase food and/or gifts. The coupons are very distinct, and cannot be reproduced.

Jenkinson says the program has a few gifts on hand from previous years, and those will be distributed until they are gone, not to be replaced.

“It will put $14,000 to $20,000 back into the Flagstaff region,” she says, “based on having around the same numbers as last year.”

Jenkinson says she has heard some pushback with regards to the changes, with comments like, “There may be participants who spend the coupons as soon as they receive them.”

She counters that with the comment, “But it’s their Christmas. This is empowering them to use it as needed.

“People think if you give money it will be wasted, but we’ve seen that proven false with the FIRST COVID-19 supports program, where every dollar has been spent as intended, and all inside Flagstaff County.” She has the data to back that up.

The program will be administered out of the FFCS building in Killam and will be by appointment only.

Jenkinson says it’s very important that people who register provide a current, working phone number. As always, all information about recipients is kept strictly confidential.

Over the last 12 years, the Christmas Sharing Program has spent between $15,620 to $27,024 on the program, with the number of people helped consistently more than 300 on average.

The program relies heavily on the generosity of donations from the community, and Jenkinson hopes that generosity will continue. She expects numbers to increase this year due to the pandemic.

Coupon amounts are intended to cover the cost of a Christmas dinner, and are not extravagant, Jenkinson says.

The coupons will be issued in $25 increments, and Jenkinson says the following retailers are on board with the program: Hardisty Home Hardware, Hardisty Community Drug Mart, Hardisty Flag City Foods, Hardisty Fresh Market Foods, Lougheed Food Store, Alliance Buchanan Grocery, Moores’ ShopEasy Foods, Forestburg, Coutts Home Hardware Forestburg, Forestburg IDA Pharmacy, Heisler General Store, Daysland Meats and Sausage, Daysland Family Foods, Daysland Apple Drugs, Sedgewick IDA Pharmacy, Wild Rose Co-op Sedgewick Food Store, Wild Rose Co-op Sedgewick Home and Farm Centre, Killam Home Hardware, Wild Rose Co-op Killam Food Store, and Killam Guardian Drugs.

The coupons may not be used to purchase liquor, tobacco products, lottery tickets, or energy drinks.

The Community Press will once again be deploying its “Fill the Tree” promotion to raise money for Christmas Sharing. Watch the paper in the coming weeks, we may start it a bit earlier this year!