Holiday donor campaign sees thousands of applicants in Calgary [Video]

Closer to Home launched its Adopt-a-Family campaign in the middle of October and more than 3,000 people have reached out for help this holiday season.

“Food security is really top of mind for a lot of families,” said Sarah Anne Taylor, the organization’s senior manager of philanthropy.

“Thirty-nine per cent of parents and caregivers are actually forgoing their own meals to make sure that their kids have what they need to get through the day. So it’s why programs and supports like Adopt-a-Family are more crucial than ever this year.”

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Taylor says the program is in its 15th year and started off relatively small when it began in 2009.

“In that first year, we gave physical gifts, food hampers and we supported 52 families and raised just over $10,000 and since then it’s exponentially grown,” …