Christmas Assistance Program Lifts a Family in Need
For a long time, Charles Judson was the sole financial provider for his family, while his wife stayed home to care for the children. However, everything changed after Charles sustained a work-related injury, leaving him unable to be employed. To help them make ends meet, the family turned to The Salvation Army in Red Deer, Alta.
“While I was waiting for workers’ compensation, we decided to go to a local food bank, which referred us to The Salvation Army. We found out they had many programs that could help us in the meantime,” Charles says.
The Salvation Army provided the Judsons with clothing assistance, food hampers and other basic items such as diapers.
“We also got gift cards and a food hamper with a turkey that helped us to organize a family Christmas dinner.”
Despite the support, the holiday season remained a concern for Charles. He wanted to give his children a special Christmas, but financial challenges threatened those plans. Thankfully, the Army’s Christmas assistance program gave the family the boost they needed.
“They gave us toys for the kids, plus other gifts. We also got gift cards and a food hamper with a turkey that helped us to organize a family Christmas dinner,” Charles adds.
“We didn’t have to stress about scraping and gathering money to make sure that kids had at least one toy as a present.”
Having enough food for a full Christmas meal brought relief to Charles and his wife.
“The gift cards made everything easier and stress-free because they helped us with groceries. And the fact that we didn’t have to stress about scraping and gathering money to make sure that kids had at least one toy as a present for Christmas was a big help.”
For Charles, choosing his children’s gifts was meaningful.
“They have a room at The Salvation Army where they place all the toys that have been donated and these are sorted by age range. So you get to pick the toys you want to give to your children,” Charles shares.
In addition, The Salvation Army gave Charles a hand getting those presents home.
“We don’t drive, so we would have had to carry everything on the bus or arrange for a taxi to pick us up. But they had the option of delivering the gifts to us.”
Reflecting on what Christmas might have looked like without the program, Charles believes he may have made some tough decisions to give his children a joyful holiday.
“We would’ve had to cut down on a lot. Maybe holding off on a power bill for a month to be able to afford to give the kids something.”
Above all, the respect and care the family received throughout the whole process was something Charles will never forget.
By Juan Romero
