Edmonton charities struggling to keep up with demand this holiday season
With Christmas a little over three weeks away, charities are hoping for a holiday miracle.
Many Edmonton charities are short of their fundraising goals this year and they are serving more clients, too.
Money the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton raised during a free concert at the Winspear Centre on Friday will go toward a festive feast for families.
"We say on average a hamper for a family of four is about $90," Adam Zawadiuk, the bureau's executive director, said. "That provides them with a turkey, all the fixings, the potatoes, the stuffing."
Zawadiuk told CTV News Edmonton the charity is helping more people this year due to the rising costs of food and housing.
Edmonton's Food Bank is feeling those impacts, too.
"Our shelves are kind of bare," the food bank's Tamisan Bencz-Knight said.
"We know it's rough out there for people. Inflation, cost of living is really impacting not only our clients but our donors. Every little bit means a lot for us."
The food bank, serving more than 37,000 people a month, says food, cash donations and volunteers are always needed throughout the year — but even more now.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
30% of town structures destroyed in Jasper wildfire: officials
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to tour the resort town of Jasper to see firsthand the devastation caused by wildfires.
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
Canada's Christine Sinclair: 'We were never shown drone footage'
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Paris Olympics kicks off with ambitious but rainy opening ceremony on the Seine River
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.