A holiday campaign has taken wing to ensure no one's cupboards are bare over the holiday season.
Envision Financial has launched the Full Cupboard Holiday Program (formerly Angel Tree) for the fourth year to help spread some holiday cheer to those in need.
Last year, more than 1,200 gifts and 3,410 lb. of food were collected through the program for those in need.
"The statistics really speak to the need for this program," said Susan Byrom, manager of community investment at Envision Financial. "One in seven children in B.C. live under the poverty line and 29.5% of monthly food bank users are children - over 27,000 kids in B.C."
All Envision Financial locations will display a decorated Christmas tree with Full Cupboard tags, each representing a child or senior in the local community, and tote bag tags, representing the most wanted food items from local food banks. Community members are invited to make a difference by taking an ornament from the tree and returning it with a new and unwrapped gift, food or cash donation by Dec. 13. All gifts and cash donations will be delivered to a local non-profit agency, food bank or Christmas bureau.
"By participating in this initiative, local residents have the opportunity to give a gift worth giving and make the holidays brighter for families, children and seniors in our communities," said Byrom.
In Coquitlam, the Full Cupboard Holiday Program is partnered with Share Family and Community Services, which runs the local food bank as well as Christmas hamper programs.
Through the initiative, Envision Financial has committed to raising $1 million for local food banks in the next 10 years. For more information on the program, visit www.envisionfinancial.ca/personal/community/fullcupboard/.
