Families will be able to select toys for their children for Christmas starting on Monday. (submitted photo/Jessica Griffin)

By Angie Rolheiser

Nipawin Secret Santa

Nipawin Secret Santa program will provide hundreds of kids with Christmas gifts this year

Dec 3, 2020 | 1:52 PM

For the second year in a row, the Nipawin Secret Santa program aims to assist families in need over the holidays.

Organizer Jessica Griffin said toys in good condition have been collected and toy selection will begin Monday.

“As of right now, I have 53 families signed up and 210 kids,” Griffin said.

Last year, there were 261 kids that benefitted from the program so she expects there may be a few more to sign up in the coming days.

“We mainly want to get those toys out of people’s homes that are still in really good condition,” Griffin said. “There always seems to be those toys that some kids just don’t play with and the idea is to then re-gift them to others that don’t get much for Christmas.”

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The program began last year and really took off in the community. This year, with the help of KidsFirst and Nipawin and Area Early Years Family Resource Centre it was made possible to go forward again.

Toys are set out at the centre and families are able to select items for their own children and are then wrapped by volunteers.

“I can do my best to pick gifts for people but they know their kids best and know what they like,” Griffin said.

Toys are set out for caregivers to select Christmas gifts for their children. (submitted photo/Jessica Griffin)

Anyone that cannot make it to the centre can provide ideas to volunteers and they select the toys, wrap and disperse them.

Appointments have been set up for the 53 families that have registered and begin on Monday and run to Thursday, Dec. 11.

“They will be given a half an hour time slot to pick out their toys before the next family comes in, and have things wrapped by volunteers,” Griffin said.

Getting donations has not been an issue and the community stepped up in a big way. One issue Griffin ran into was setting up drop-off boxes for items at different businesses.

“I would not have been able to run the program this year without the Nipawin and Area Early Years Family Resource Centre,” Griffin said. “They were my drop-off location and where we are holding pick-up and the staff has been organizing and setting things out.”

A long list of community donors have supported the program along with Nipawin Dental Centre which has provided toothbrushes and toothpaste for every kid.

Registrations are still being accepted at Nipawin Secret Santa on Facebook.

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser