1,050 Christmas wishes fulfilled for babies, children and youth in care in Thunder Bay area
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — The 11th annual Dilico Anishinabek Family Care Christmas Wish Bag Campaign has filled about 1,050 bags of gifts for babies, children and youth in need thanks to the efforts of volunteers, staff, community members and donors.
“These Christmas wish bags are incredibly special — for many of our children, this is the only gift they are receiving at Christmas,” says Julie Bannon, family wellness worker with Dilico. “This gives children not only a toy or a gift, but also a memorable and happy holiday. The wish bags provide some of the fondest memories for children and families, so it’s a wonderful cause for some very deserving children.”
Darcia Borg, executive director at Dilico, says the parents appreciate the assistance they receive through the Dilico Christmas Wish Bag Campaign.
“They appreciate the assistance especially at Christmastime,” Borg says. “It’s a lot of appreciation, not only to Dilico Anishinabek Family Care but again to the entire community of Thunder Bay. We are so blessed for the support we get every year. This year we have surpassed our goal and it just shows how much love there is in the community of Thunder Bay for Indigenous children and families.”
Dilico identified the need to fill about 1,000 Christmas wish bags in November, the largest amount identified since the Dilico Christmas Wish Bag Campaign began 11 years ago.
“Dilico Anishinabek Family Care is overjoyed with the response to this year’s Christmas Wish Campaign,” Borg says. “It’s truly amazing to see the community come together in such a big way to ensure that children wake up with a smile on Christmas morning. Thank you for helping our staff make a heartfelt difference in these children’s lives and celebrating the true meaning of the holiday season.”
Borg says the children’s wishes were identified by Dilico staff during meetings with the children and families.
“And that’s I think a really unique part of our campaign, that we’re getting what the child really wants for Christmas,” Borg says.
Once the children’s wishes are determined, community members, businesses and organizations are encouraged to sign up to fill a Christmas wish bag for a child in need.
“The Dilico Christmas Wish Campaign is unique in the fact that each bag is individualized for a child with a special tag attached which provides details such as their age, interests and Christmas wishes,” Borg says. “This also ensures that participants know where their donation is going.”
The Dilico Christmas Wish Campaign has delivered about 6,000 wish bags to children and youth in need across the Thunder Bay district since it was launched 11 years ago. About 900 wish bags were filled for children and youth in need last year.
“It’s grown significantly, and that’s due to there is a great need out there,” Borg says. “A lot of children and families are facing a lot of difficult times for housing and basic needs, so this really adds a smile to the children’s faces on Christmas morning.”
This year’s Christmas Wish Bag Campaign was supported by a group of participants, volunteers, staff, donors and community partners, including Sovereign Dental, 2019 bag sponsor; Bargain Shop, toy donor and Fill the Sleigh Event sponsor; Unifor, donor; Erickson and Partners, donor; Rainbow Printers, community partner; Intercity Shopping Centre, community partner; and St. Patrick High School, community partner.