On Sunday, December 18, 2011 Kruzeniski House youth and staff hosted their second annual Christmas “adopt-a-youth” campaign. To raise funds for this event, youth and staff sold raffle tickets for prizes donated from various businesses around the city. This year they were able to raise over $1200. They also added another $300 that was raised from various other fundraisers over the year.
Letters were sent out around the community informing the families about Kruzeniski’s Christmas adoption program. It didn’t take long before they had adopted 15 community youth. Each adopted youth filled out a Christmas wish list. Once that was done, the Kruzeniski staff and youth went Christmas shopping.
The community youth started arriving at Kruzeniski House at about 1 p.m. in the afternoon on December 18th, hoping to get a glimpse of Santa. Each youth received $100 dollars worth of gifts. They also had a visit from Santa followed by treats and snacks. Parents were very appreciative of Kruzeniski’s Christmas adoption program. The day was filled with laughter, singing, eating, and the youth playing with all their gifts.
“One parent approached a staff in tears to express her gratitude and informed the staff that this was the only gifts her two children were going to receive this year, as she had no money to buy gifts of her own,” observed Cam Huberdeau, youth care leader and event organizer. “This is the reality for many youth in our neighbourhood and why we started our Christmas “adopt-a-youth” campaign.”
- Submitted by guest blogger, Cam Huberdeau, youth care leader at Kruzeniski House
