The founder of a North End ministry which was forced to close its doors this month has decided to still make Christmas special for the community. 

For 10 years North End Family Centre (NEFC) operated on Main Street in Winnipeg. It was affectionately referred to as a "community living room." A place where people from the community could come and use a variety of services, as well as a place to simply find community.

It also hosted an annual Community Christmas Party to make sure that local families had a safe Christmas meal and celebration. During those parties parents and caregivers were given the chance to choose a new toy for each of their children. 

The founder of NEFC, Kyle Mason, said that as sad as he was to hear the news of the centre's closing he had quickly decided to find a way to keep the Christmas party going. 

"Probably within 48 hours of hearing the news that the ministry would be closing, a friend of mine and I decided that their Christmas party needed to continue."

Mason says that over the years the event had grown, and had become an important event for families in the area. "This was an event that people looked forward to, they were excited about, and I know parents often relied on this event for them to receive a brand new toy for their kids."

The new North End Community Christmas party will take over where the old one left off. In partnership with St. John's Anglican Cathedral, the party will take place on December 11.

Thanks to the generosity of Rick Therian of Jim Gauthier Chev and St. John’s Anglican Cathedral we have already raised $2,500 (off line) of our stated goal of $5,000. The group has also started a GoFundMe to help with costs.