YWCA NWT’s 2022 holiday family sponsorship program launches

The YWCA NWT is inviting people have the means to sponsor a family in the organization’s transitional or emergency housing programs again this holiday season.

Through sponsorship, families with fixed or low incomes will receive gifts and groceries for the holidays.

“For some of our clients, buying gifts for their children is just not an option. And with the skyrocketing costs of groceries, this has caused even more financial strain on many families in our housing program,” said Hawa Dumbuya-Sesay, the YWCA’s executive directive in a news release.

“It’s truly the ultimate gift to help others and this community has always gone above and beyond to show local families they care by brightening up the holiday season and helping children have a Christmas they may not have otherwise and bringing hope to those who need it most.”

If people or groups are interested in sponsoring a family, the YWCA suggests they start by reviewing the gift giving guidelines. The guidelines suggest spending $100 per child on gifts, plus an additional $50 per family member on grocery gift cards.

Next, email the YWCA at giving@ywcanwt.ca by December 6 to let them know what size of family you want to sponsor.

The YWCA will respond with information about the children’s ages, genders, and wish lists in the family you’re sponsoring to help you with your shopping. The information will also include how many adults are in the household to help estimate the total grocery gift card amount needed.

The organization will also let you know when and where to drop off your unwrapped gifts and grocery gift cards for them to distribute to families.

Last year, the holiday sponsorship program was fully subscribed barely a week after it opened, meaning 100 families received some help from the community for the holidays.