Make a gift to the Christmas Bureau and brighten this holiday season.
The Christmas Bureau helps to ensure that low-income families, individuals, and seniors living in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Lions Bay, and on Bowen Island can celebrate the season.
*Please note our Sponsor a Family applications are now closed for the 2025 Holiday Season. There are still many ways to provide support this holiday season.*
Ways to Support
There are many ways you can support the Christmas Bureau and make a difference in your community:
1. Make a donation
Your donation helps guarantee that our team can provide individually-selected presents and holiday gift baskets for more than 2,500 people this year.
2. Make an In-kind donation at the Christmas Bureau
Your in-kind donations ensure vulnerable members of our community receive food support, basic essentials, and gifts so they can celebrate and take care of themselves and their families over the holiday season. There is a deep and ongoing need for the following items:
- Grocery gift cards
- New, full-sized, unopened personal care items such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste/toothbrushes, deodorant
- New, unwrapped toys
- Tween/teen gift cards
The Christmas Bureau serves children 0 – 18, and tweens and teens are often harder to buy for. To help you get started, we have prepared a tween and teen wish list.
At this time, we are also accepting donations of gently used clothing, including winter coats and boots..
4. Support Wonder Wheels – pre-loved bikes for local families
Each year our partner, Obsession Bikes, collects donations of used bikes and fixes up for safe riding. The Christmas Bureau then identifies local children and families who need bikes and matches them with refurbished two-wheelers (along with brand-new helmets). Donations of bikes in good working condition can be dropped off at our Community Hub. For more information email christmas@familyservices.bc.ca
5. Support our School Engagement program
Become an ambassador for the Christmas Bureau and help us connect with schools across the North Shore. The goal of our school engagement program is to generate awareness about the Christmas Bureau program so we can help more families, and to connect with schools that are looking for ways to support those in need within our community. There are many ways you, your team, school, grad class, or PAC can get involved. For more information please email caringschools@familyservices.bc.ca
6. Volunteer with the Christmas Bureau
While our volunteer programs run year-round, the Christmas Bureau is the time of greatest need. If you would like to volunteer with the Christmas Bureau or another Family Services of the North Shore Program, you can learn more here.
Please note: Sponsor a Family Sign-up is now closed for the 2025 Holiday Season.
This year, we’ve received a tremendous response to our Sponsor a Family program and thanks to this outpouring of support from our community, we have been able to match all the individuals and families who have have applied for support through the Christmas Bureau. Our most heartfelt thank you to the many donors who continue to provide support to the Sponsor a Family program.
If you applied to be a Sponsor, and haven’t heard from us yet regarding a match, all communication will have been completed by Friday, December 5.
Gift Basket Drop-off Information
Gift basket drop-off day is Monday, December 15, from 10am to 7pm, at the Christmas Bureau in our Community Hub. Upon arriving at the Community Hub, check in with our registration team, and they will assist you with your gift basket.
Drop-off Checklist:
- Holiday gift basket with contents wrapped and ready to go
- Client family’s ID number clearly marked on the outside of your gift basket. Please follow the one-box rule – if all items don’t fit in one box, clearly mark additional box(es) with ID number and indicate number of boxes included (ie. – 1 of 3, 2 of 3, etc.)
- Gift receipts included, in case items need to be exchanged
- Grocery gift cards in an individual envelope clearly marked with your family’s ID number separate from the gift basket
- Your completed tax receipt form and receipts (if you are unable to submit these online HERE). Please email donations@familyservices.bc.ca or call 604 988 5281 with any questions.
If you have any questions please contact the Christmas Bureau at Christmas@familyservices.bc.ca or call 604-984-9627. Once you’ve dropped off your gift basket, please join us for refreshments and connection with our team!
Visit the Christmas Bureau – open Monday-Friday, 10:00am-4:00pm thru December 23rd.
The Christmas Bureau is located at the Family Services of the North Shore Community Hub in Capilano Mall, 943 Marine Drive, 2nd floor, North Vancouver. The entrance is on the upper floor of the former Sears department store accessible via the P2 parking garage off Hanes Avenue (look for the four brightly coloured doors and Family Services of the North Shore signs along the far west wall).