Become a Christmas Neighbour
Provide direct support to a family or senior that includes a bountiful Christmas hamper and gifts directly to your neighbour. We match you up!
Get Involved
See how you can get involved this Christmas
Need Help?
We are here for you. Find out how to apply for the Christmas Bureau
“Extremely Emotional Visit”
Sponsor Testimony
We are a staff of 5 and this Christmas we chose to sponsor a family instead of buying each other gifts. We were matched with a single mom with one child. Two of us are single mothers ourselves who have benefitted from the Christmas Bureau in the past, for the other staff it was an eye-opening (and heart-opening) experience. As we arrived at the home, the young boy exclaimed, with joy, that God had sent us. It was an extremely emotional visit.
What is the Christmas Neighbour Program?
The Christmas Neighbour program matches you with a Family or Senior and is a rewarding way for an individual, business, church, school or organization to provide direct support to your neighbour at Christmas. Each Christmas Neighbour is asked to provide the Christmas dinner supplies and gifts for their matched family and deliver directly to their door or at a mutually agreed upon location.
Experience the joy of the true Christmas Spirit.
Please note, deadline for the Christmas Neighbour Applications is November 24th.
After the 24th, please call for other partnership opportunities.
APPLY to be matched
Fill out the Christmas Neighbour Application form online. Or, if you prefer, download the PDF file and send it by e-mail to the Abbotsford Christmas Bureau.
E-mail: christmasbureau@archway.ca
CONFIRMATION
Expect a confirmation call, e-mail, or fax from us stating that we have received your application. Contact us (604-859-5749 ext.40) if you have not received a confirmation within one week. (October – December)
RECEIVE MATCH
We will be contacting you again to match you with a family/senior. We will provide you with their contact information, along with the names, ages and genders of each family member.
CALL YOUR MATCH
Please, call your family/senior ASAP to let them know that you are their neighbour, clarify shopping list and set delivery date. Calling right away really helps your family/senior feel more at ease.
Tip: When you call, ask clarifying questions regarding the shopping list and record the answers in the space provided on the Christmas Bureau Shopping List.
Example: What type of bread does your family enjoy? Do you have a preference for type of vegetables?
Please let us know if you are having any trouble contacting your matched family/senior.
SHOP TIME
You do the shopping! Please refer to the Christmas Bureau Shopping List for the size of household you chose to sponsor to ensure you include everything that is needed. This is very important in order to maintain consistency in what each family/senior receives at Christmas.
Please let us know if this becomes a challenge, we are happy to work together. (Please note: Providing more than the amount listed per household size is up to each sponsor.)
DELIVER
Deliver the food hamper and gifts on the pre-arranged date and enjoy meeting your family/senior!
If you have a heartwarming story to share, we would love to hear it!
The matching process begins early October and completes end of November.
Please note, deadline for Christmas Neighbour Applications is November 24th.
After the 24th, please call for other partnership opportunities.
Volunteer Sponsor Toys for Tots Christmas Brunch
- Sponsor our event, Tots for Toys Christmas Brunch.
For sponsorship levels click HERE. Or contact Rebecca. - Compete against stores or business locations to see who can donate the most items (food or gifts)
- Provide a discount for customers if they bring in food or toy item to be donated or ask customers to donate $1 per purchase.
- Ask the Christmas Bureau for top gift wish list items for all ages of children and create an Angel tree for employees to personalize their donations. Please note: Angle tree creates opportunity to give frequently requested gifts to stock the Toy Room where families who are not sponsored, “shop” for their children.
- Host a party (within your work bubble) where food or toy donations are admissions
- Come as a group to volunteer your time in our busy months of November and December!
- Like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram or Twitter, help share or retweet the news at the Christmas Bureau!
#AbbotsfordChristmasBureau
Volunteer Toys for Tots Christmas Brunch
- Attend Tots for Toys Christmas Brunch . For more info click HERE.
- Volunteer at the Christmas Bureau for a morning in December. To apply click HERE.
- Do a gift exchange among friends or family where gifts are brought for a person at a certain age and then donate the gift to the Christmas Bureau (ie. Tina buys an easy-bake oven for Becky who is an avid baker)
- Host a party (with people in your bubble) where food or toy donations are admissions to get in
- Get people at your work excited about supporting the Christmas Bureau
- Let your child pick out something they would like for Christmas, and then come drop it off at the FoodBank/Christmas Bureau
- Host a potluck where people bring a dish to share with friends, plus the equivalent ingredients to donate to the Food Bank. (We accept fresh and frozen unopened food items)
- Like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram or Twitter, help share or retweet the news at the Christmas Bureau!
#AbbotsfordChristmasBureau
Volunteer Toys for Tots Christmas Brunch
- Attend Tots for Toys Christmas Brunch . For more info click HERE.
- Have students bring a toy/gift for their own age group to the Christmas Bureau
- Volunteer at the Christmas Bureau for a morning in December. To apply click HERE.
- Get the neighborhood involved and run a food/toy drive in your community
- Have a special collection for food or money to donate
- Compete between classes to see who can donate the most items (food or gifts). Incentives could be a pizza party, extra 15 minutes of lunchtime, or the ability to drop the items off with the teachers to the Food Bank to see where their donations are going
- Host a party (within respected bubbles) where food or toy donations are the admissions
- Host a potluck where people bring a dish to share with friends, plus the equivalent ingredients to donate to the Food Bank. (We accept fresh and frozen unopened food items)
- Break the class into groups and have them come up with creative ways to gather food, gifts, or money. Have a prize or reward for the group with the most raised
- Come as a class to have a tour of the Food Bank and Christmas Bureau
- Like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram or Twitter, help share or retweet the news at the Christmas Bureau!
#AbbotsfordChristmasBureau - Commit as a congregation or home-group to pray for all the families receiving assistance, as well as the volunteers and staff as they facilitate the program
- Help us Pick-up Christmas food donations by driving a truck to various locations during our busiest days
- Encourage business owners within the church to think of creative ways to partner with the Food Bank and Christmas Bureau
Here’s a taste of why we do what we do!
After the tragic loss of Brenda’s 12-year-old son Coleton, she started “Coleton Clause’ in memory of him. She fundraises throughout the year and last year she was able to help 15 families! Here is what she had to say…
“The best thing that could have ever happened to me was to have contacted Laura from the Christmas Bureau last year. Helping the Abbotsford Christmas Bureau has been a life saver for my entire family at this difficult time of year. Seeing the joy on the families faces when we walk through the door, the tears, the looks of disbelief that this is even happening to them, is worth every ounce of effort put into the fundraiser in June and every day after that to help these families at Christmas. I firmly believe that Coleton and Laura go hand in hand when choosing our families and to know that Coleton is shining down on all of us with the biggest ear to ear grins and to know how proud he must be keeps us moving forward through another year. The smiles, the tears of joy and the hugs from the families are the best Christmas present of all. I highly recommend to anyone who is able to GIVE. It’s the best experience EVER. xoxo”