Woods Homes kicks off annual campaign to help at-risk youth through the holidays

By Lethbridge Herald on November 8, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local organization is looking for help around the holiday season.

Woods Homes is a mental health centre that supports youth all over the province. 

Kelsey DesRoche, program supervisor for the Lethbridge Opportunity Hub for Wood’s Homes, says the organization helps various young people in the city.

Woods Homes is launching their Home for the Holiday initiative to help provide support during the final months of the year. Members of the public have several options to provide support. Sponsorship opportunities are available for a community group care home or a specific young person receiving support. Wish list items for young people are able to be purchased by members of the public. Corporate donations are able to be used on holiday meals.

Woods Homes also accepts donations of cash or gift cards. In addition, DesRoche says new or lightly used items are accepted.

“We also have an event that we do where we collect new and gently used items and it’s where our clients can come and shop for their loved ones. They come for the day we have hot chocolate. We have a Santa and they come and they shop and pick out presents for their loved ones and they go home with wrapped gifts under their trees so as people are cleaning out things or thinking of where to donate we do take those items as well.”

Last year, support for Woods Home for the Holidays raised over $50,000. While there is no particular goal for donations this year, DesRoche says the program has been changed to allow donors to give in different amounts.

“We’ve always done some sort of iteration of it. This is the first one where we’ve done it this way, where you can adopt programs or individuals, with different levels of giving available.”

More information can be found on the Woods Home website which is woodshomes.ca