YWCA NWT has launched its annual Holiday Family Sponsorship Program, with a sign-up deadline of Dec. 3 for people who wish to help community members in need.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of families in our emergency and transitional housing program are really feeling the financial strain this year from the pandemic, finding that itSA国际影视传媒檚 increasingly difficult to even meet their basic need SA国际影视传媒� so having to make choices between paying the light bill, paying the rent, being able to afford to get their kids school supplies, that sort of thing,SA国际影视传媒� said Alayna Ward, the local YWCASA国际影视传媒檚 director of community relations.

Food security has been an increasingly common concern among those turning to the YWCA NWT.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e seeing more clients SA国际影视传媒� like an unprecedented number of clients SA国际影视传媒� who are coming to us for assistance with food and being able to feed their families,SA国际影视传媒� said Ward.

There are more than 100 families on the list for YWCA assistance for this year, equating to 221 children.

SA国际影视传媒淪o you can see thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a really huge need, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 just the families that are involved in the YWCA housing program,SA国际影视传媒� Ward said.

The sponsorship program has been running for close to a decade, becoming a significant part of the organizationSA国际影视传媒檚 operations after one its Rockhill facility burned down in 2018.

SA国际影视传媒淲e did used to have a large transitional housing facility, like an apartment building, a 33-unit one,SA国际影视传媒� said Ward. SA国际影视传媒淚t was close to downtown Yellowknife.SA国际影视传媒�

Summit Air used to provide toys for all the children living in that building.

Since that point, the sponsorship program has been growing, with the number of families that YWCA NWT serves growing alongside it.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e always had a pretty great response,SA国际影视传媒� said Ward. SA国际影视传媒淭he community is very supportive of the (YWCA) and really want to show families that theySA国际影视传媒檙e supportive. So yeah, weSA国际影视传媒檙e basically just hoping that weSA国际影视传媒檒l have that same type of great response.SA国际影视传媒�

The organization has drafted gift guidelines to give donors ideas of how their contributions could be used.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou know, this is what we suggest, like $100, for example, to spend on gifts, and then $50 a person for food. It gives sponsors kind of an idea of, okay, ISA国际影视传媒檓 a single person, or a couple, or an organization of 10 people, and this is our budget.SA国际影视传媒�

For larger families, some organizations or workplaces provide a matching amount to help support them.

The sign-up deadline of Dec. 3 was chosen for SA国际影视传媒減lanning purposes.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭hat just gives families a little bit of direction and flexibility to know kind of what they may need to buy for the season,SA国际影视传媒� said Ward.

ThereSA国际影视传媒檃 also supply chain issues that have made it more challenging to obtain certain items.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e seeing that thereSA国际影视传媒檚 shortages of certain toys or things,SA国际影视传媒� said Ward. SA国际影视传媒淪o we have had people, even back in early October, people were contacting us because theySA国际影视传媒檙e like, SA国际影视传媒榃e want to order toys and weSA国际影视传媒檇 love to sponsor a family.SA国际影视传媒� So we thought, hey, let people do it earlier, because they wanted to do that and then they wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have to worry about any kind of shipping delays or lack of things that they want to get.SA国际影视传媒�