The Salvation Army in Winnipeg is honoured to help out local families in need this Christmas season, not only with its red kettles but also with gifts for kids. "The Salvation Army published just today, a report about poverty and socioeconomic analysis," says Kristin Marand, the Communications Manager of the Salvation Army in the prairies and northern territories. "We basically asked 1,500 Canadians from various parts of the country, 'Where are your concerns?'" The report concluded that in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, people are concerned about interest rates and the rising cost of necessities. "One of the reasons the Salvation Army exists is to help ease those burdens. If we can do that at Christmas, even better." .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Parents Feeling the Pinch As the Christmas holiday season approaches, many parents feel pressure to afford everything that often comes with it. "What we've been seeing as a trend across all different kinds of organizations is that folks don't have as much extra to give. So donations are down all across the board. That could be monetary donations, donations of canned goods or even toys. That's concerning, obviously, and we're expecting the need to be even higher." The Salvation Army, alongside CHVN, will be hosting their Holiday Heroes event on Nov. 21 and 22 at Walmart on Kenaston. This gives people the chance to bring new toys, large or small, to help families in Manitoba have a Merry Christmas. "We really want to help ease the burden so folks don't have to make that hard choice. Like, do I buy groceries or do I buy gifts?" Last year, the Salvation Army handed out toys to 6,500 children in Winnipeg, and they are expecting that number to be higher this year. "This is a great opportunity for businesses, friend groups, and church groups to get together and do a little collection in your group. Then come down as a group and donate. It's such a good feeling to do something with a group of people that you care about and know that you're doing it towards the greater good for folks that live, possibly, right next door to you."