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.
Ways to donate
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.
2. Support a Family or Individual
The Christmas Bureau team wishes to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our sponsors this season. We have successfully matched sponsors with all of our families and individuals needing support, and we greatly appreciate this community’s generosity. If you wish to support the Christmas Bureau in other ways, we are still in need of grocery gift cards and gratefully accepting monetary donations.
If you have been matched with a family to sponsor this year, our Gift Basket Drop-Off Day is Tuesday, December 12, 2023, and we will be receiving gift baskets from 10am-7pm at the Family Services North Shore Community Hub (address and directions below). We look forward to seeing you all and thank you for helping to brighten the holidays in our community.
3. Make an in-kind donation
Christmas Bureau clients receive grocery gift cards, toiletries such as shampoo, soap, deodorant and lotion, personal care items, toys, donated gifts, and many other basic essentials. There is a deep and ongoing need for these items, and your in-kind donation will ensure that vulnerable members of our community can celebrate and take care of themselves and their families over the holiday season. 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.
4. Donate to the Gift Drive at the Northshore Auto Mall
Our good friends at the Northshore Auto Mall are hosting their annual Gift Drive in support of our Christmas Bureau on Sunday, December 3rd from 12:00-4:00pm at the Morrey Mazda dealership. We look forward to seeing the many families, businesses, and community groups who drop by each year with new unwrapped gifts for our neighbours in need.
The Northshore Auto Mall has generously pledged to match all Gift Drive donations made, up to $10,000. Gift Drive donations go directly toward purchasing toys and gifts for children and teens, to ensure vulnerable North Shore families can share in the joy of the holidays with presents under the tree.
5. Visit a Community Pop-Up
Visit one of our Community Pop-Up Shoppes throughout the holiday season to support our Christmas Bureau. Our volunteer team creates incredible handmade gifts to be sold at our Community Pop-Ups with 100% of proceeds going to families in need. All materials are graciously donated and every item purchased is handmade with love by a Family Services of the North Shore volunteer.
2023 Community Pop-Up Dates and Locations:
December 2 – 12-3pm: Edgemont Village (weather permitting)
December 3 – 12-4pm: During the Gift Drive at the North Shore Auto Mall
December 12 – 10-7pm: Family Services North Shore Community Hub (during Gift Basket Drop-Off Day. Everyone welcome!)
Monday to Friday from 10am-4pm throughout November and December at the Community Hub!
6. Support our School Engagement Program
Become an ambassador for the Christmas Bureau and help us connect with schools across the North Shore. The main goal of our school engagement program is to generate awareness of the Christmas Bureau program in our community so we can help more people in need of support this holiday season. We are asking ambassadors to help us connect with the school community to pass along information on how the Christmas Bureau can help any family who might benefit from this giving program this holiday season. Every request for assistance is treated with compassion, respect and complete confidentiality. Click here to learn more about the Caring Schools Initiative and click here to learn more about the Soap for Hope Program. For more information email caringschools@familyservices.bc.ca.
7. Support Bikes for Tykes
Each fall our partner, Obsession Bikes, solicits donations of used bikes to fix up for safe riding. The Christmas Bureau then identifies local children who need a bike and delivers a refurbished two-wheeler to them (along with a brand-new helmet) in time for the holidays. For more information email christmas@familyservices.bc.ca
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.
Visit the Christmas Bureau at the Community Hub
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 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). We are currently accepting in-kind donations Monday-Thursday from 10:00am-4:00pm.