Calgarians have a strong tradition of caring for people living in poverty during the Holiday season; donating to food banks, service agencies and gift foundations to make this time in people’s lives a little warmer.
Did you know that there is a strong relationship between poverty and HIV, an illness that can affect any one of us? A person living with HIV can experience side-effects that make it more difficult to hold on to a career, especially if they run the risk of being fired or discriminated against if they disclose their status. If a person with HIV loses their job they may qualify for financial assistance but the amount they receive is often not enough to cover the basics of life. Even if this assistance covers costs such as rent, utilities and food there isn’t always spending money left to do something as simple as put together a special holiday meal.
That’s why, every year at this time, AIDS Calgary collects supplies and donations for our Holiday Hamper program. Included in each hamper are toiletries, bus tickets, a small present, a hand-made holiday card, and a gift card that can be used for groceries to make a holiday meal to suit their own culture and tastes.
Coral Bush, Information and Support Worker at AIDS Calgary, says that there’s a very positive response to the Holiday Hamper program: “My favorite part is when I phone people to tell them when their hampers are going to be delivered, and people are always in a very happy mood. It’s probably one of my favorite things that I do here.”
Kim, a volunteer who has delivered hampers for the past two years, says that being involved in the Holiday Hamper program is an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience: “the first gentleman I dropped off my hamper to last year was so thankful that there were almost tears in his eyes. It just really touched me. It was nice to be able to reach out.”
The Holiday Hamper program is just one part of AIDS Calgary’s commitment to reducing the harm associated with HIV/AIDS in this city. We work alongside people at risk for and living with HIV/AIDS to ensure there is necessary access to the information and resources needed to live a full and fulfilling life in a compassionate and just society.
This holiday season we ask that you make a contribution to AIDS Calgary’s Hamper program, and bring a smile to someone going through a tough time. For only $50 you can sponsor toiletries and personal care items, for $100 a family holiday dinner or for $150 an entire hamper for an individual or family in need this holiday season. Donations of cash and volunteer time are always warmly welcomed. You can also donate gifts in kind to be included in our hampers (call us at 403-508-2500 for more information on gift in kind donations).
You can make a donation online, in person at our Calgary Cares Centre, or by phone. Thank you for your generosity during this holiday season.