Dilico Anishinabek Family Care’s annual Christmas Wish campaign becomes an annual tradition for local families and workplaces during the holiday season.
Dilico Anishinabek Family Care’s annual Christmas Wish campaign has officially begun, just in time for the holiday season. As is tradition, the Christmas Wish campaign aims to provide Wish Bags to babies, children and youth in the community, ensuring that all children experience joy at this time of year.
This year, the campaign aims to make Christmas Wish a tradition for local families, businesses, workplaces, friend groups, churches, schools, and other groups, encouraging people to share the tradition of giving.
“Many families that celebrate Christmas have traditions that have been embedded in their history for many generations,” says John Dixon, Director of Integrated Services. “We hope to make the tradition of giving one that families, workplaces, and other groups adopt for the years to come. Participating in Christmas Wish as a family, and involving children in acts of kindness and giving are great bonding activities. Likewise, participating as a workplace can be a great team building exercise, and an opportunity for local businesses to spread Christmas cheer. It’s a wonderful way to share the joy that comes with compassion and generosity.”
The theme of coming together to give is reflected through the image of the snowflake – a cyclical design depicting community. It’s all about family, friends, and workplaces coming together to help children and youth.
Dilico kicked-off their Christmas Wish campaign this year at Creekside Nursery & Garden Centre, just days before Creekside’s Christmas Market on November 19th and 20th. Decked out in holiday cheer, the local nursery was the perfect backdrop for Dilico to announce their goal of filling hundreds of Christmas Wish bags in the coming weeks. Dilico will also have a booth set up at the Christmas Market where individuals can learn more about how to get involved in the campaign and where to pick up their own Wish Bags.
Each bag is assigned to a baby, child, or youth in the community, and is personalised for each individual based on their needs, as well as some items they’re wishing for this Christmas.
“It’s nice to fill a bag with things like hygiene products, socks, mitts, hats and necessities – all of which are items that are greatly appreciated – but what makes Christmas Wish so special is that it’s individualized so that every child gets that wonderful feeling that comes with opening the present they’d been dreaming of,” says Evelyn Pelletier “It’s a chance for children to get something that’s unique to their interests. They can feel the joy of the season just like their friends and peers this Christmas.
A new feature of this year’s Christmas Wish is the option to add a copy of Dilico’s new book, How I Found My Voice, to a bag. The book was released at the beginning of October as part of Dilico’s Step Up campaign, and follows the story of a young Indigenous person as they search for the courage to speak up. The book was written and illustrated by local creatives, and it encourages youth to find confidence in their relationships with others and with themselves. For $15, a copy of the book can be added to a wish bag.
For those interested in filling a Christmas Wish bag, there will be a number of locations for folks to pick-up ready-to-fill bags, including:
– Dilico Anishinabek Family Care; 200 Anemki Place
– Firedog Communications; 32 Court St. S
– Starbucks (Arthur Street Marketplace); 1165 Arthur St. W
– Starbucks (Thunder Centre); 949 Fort William Rd.
Bags are available for pick-up immediately, and must be returned on December 5th to Firedog Communications.
For more information on Christmas Wish, please visit www.dilico.com/christmaswish or www.facebook.com/dilicochristmaswish
