The CHVN Family has a fantastic opportunity to bless kids this Christmas thanks to a new partnership with the Salvation Army!

The CHVN DJs will all be on location at the Kenaston Walmart (1665 Kenaston Blvd.) on Friday, Nov. 17, and Saturday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, collecting new and unwrapped toys for Holiday Heroes. What's Holiday Heroes? Great question!

Kristin Marand from the Salvation Army stopped by this week to give us the details. "The Salvation Army runs a Christmas toy program through our Weetamah location. It is located right in the core on Logan Ave., and we offer a number of services through there. But one of our biggest ones is our toy program at Christmas, and registration is open right now. So, if there are families that are having a hard time this Christmas and need a hand up, they can register with us, and we'll set them up with an appointment."

Once families are registered, they come down to Weetamah, where the team at the Salvation Army converts a gymnasium into a toy store each year leading up to Christmas.

The opportunity to come into the space and pick for themselves the gifts their children would like is one of the best gifts we can give anyone, Marand points out.

"It's nice to get a gift, it's nice to get help, but when you're able to have an actual shopping experience as well, there's a lot of dignity in that. It feels good all around, and who knows the kids better than the parents, right? They're going to know whether they're into superheroes, or colouring books and crafts, versus an outdoor activity or something like that."

Last year, the Salvation Army's toy store ensured that 6,100 kids woke up with gifts on Christmas morning. By partnering with CHVN, we're hoping to reach even more children this year. That's important because, as Marand points out, inflation has caused a strain on even more families. Demand will increase significantly this year, and the CHVN family has the opportunity to help alleviate some of that demand. 

Please help us spread the word. Save the above image, share it on your platforms, and encourage your friends and family to participate in celebrating Christ's birth by blessing local kids and families this Christmas. We can't wait to see you there!