Christmas Hope campaign back to bring hope for the holidays

By Lethbridge Herald on November 18, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

This year marks the nineteenth year of the Christmas Hope Campaign, and multiple organizations coming together to bring joy during the holiday season to members of the community that need a helping hand. 

This year, seven local organizations have partnered to support low-income families to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy a merry Christmas by providing them with everything they need with an element of choice. 

Families are able to choose from either the Interfaith Food Bank or the Lethbridge Food Bank for their Christmas meal, and between the Lethbridge Family Services Angel Tree Campaign, the Salvation Army Toys for Tots, or the MyCity Care Shop of Wonders for toys. 

This year the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO) has joined the campaign with their Golden Giving Tree, for seniors in the community to be including in receiving a little something for their Christmas as well. 

And for those wanting to volunteer for any of the organizations involved during the Christmas holidays, Volunteer Lethbridge can connect them with the organization of their choice to make their volunteer experience possible. 

Kaitlyn Weaver, executive director of LSCO, said during the campaign launch Monday that they are very excited to be able to participate in the Christmas Hope Campaign this year, to bring isolated seniors and seniors who are going through financial hardship, some joy during the holidays. 

“Which is really important for seniors because they tent to get forgotten over the Christmas season,” said Weaver. “So, to be able to partner with the Christmas Hope Campaign helps bring awareness to the needs of seniors in the city.”

The Golden Giving Tree campaign is very similar to the Lethbridge Family Services’ Angel Tree Campaign. 

“You grab a tag with a couple of items on the wish list for seniors, like cozy blanket, tea, a game or something, then you bring the unwrapped item back to that tree, or one of the other two trees,” said Weaver. 

She said there are three trees—one at LSCO, one at Nord-Bridge Senior Centre and one at London Drugs—and items from a wish list can be dropped off at either one. 

“And then pick them up with volunteers, wrap them and deliver them,” said Weaver. “If you want to nominate a senior outside of the city it’s ok, but you are responsible to deliver their present.” 

Lt. Zach Marshall, community ministries officer with Salvation Army of Lethbridge said that after working with several cities across the country through the Salvation Army, he realized that the Christmas Hope Campaign is one that should be modeled across the country. 

“The Christmas Hope Campaign and the partnership that we have here works very well and it certainly a model that we should see adopted across the country, to see multiple organizations come together and support one another to support the community at Christmas time.”

He said the needs in the community has been increasing year over year and families are hurting, to the point that they need all the support they can get at Christmas time. 

“We very much depend on our community support, individual donors, group donors, with both monetary donations and tangible offerings like food and toys and I have to say that Lethbridge always shows up for us and the community members we serve.”