Christmas Program
Caring for Community at Christmas
With your help, we can make sure that local children and youth are filled with excitement when they wake up on Christmas morning and see a special gift waiting for them under the tree.
SOS collects new, unwrapped gifts to fill the SOS Toy Shop, where low-income parents, grandparents, and caregivers can shop for free for their loved ones.
Also, with your support, families, adults, and seniors receive local grocery store gift cards so they can choose food that is meaningful to them over the holidays.
Together, we ensure they have a good meal to share. Together, we help create magic.
To make a financial donation to the program, please click here. Please read the Donation section below for more ways to donate.
TO DONATE TO THE CARING FOR COMMUNITY AT CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
1. Financial donations
Thank you for bringing joy to local residents this Christmas! Click on this link to make a donation with your credit card.
Alternatively, call 250-248-2093 during office hours (Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, closed for lunch from 12 pm – 1 pm), or come by the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville during those hours, located at 245 Hirst Ave. W. in Parksville. For your convenience, tax receipts for financial donations can be mailed, or we can issue the receipt at the time of donation drop-off.
2. Toy and Gift donations
Toy and gift donations can be dropped off at SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville during office hours (Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, closed for lunch from 12 pm – 1 pm). *Please note: On Thursdays, SOS Community Services Centre opens at 9:30 am.
Or locate an SOS Angel Tree at a participating business/organization in November/December (see the Angel Trees tab below), or attend an event benefitting the program! For Teen and Tween Gift Ideas click here.
REGISTER FOR THE CARING FOR COMMUNITY AT CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
The SOS Christmas Program supports low-income families and individuals, including seniors, living in District 69. In general terms, this is individuals with income levels below $50,000, or family income under $60,000; however, income is not the only indicator of the need for support, and current circumstances are also considered. To access the program, residents can register in-person at the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville (245 Hirst Ave. W.)
Registration will start in November 18, 2026.
Please remember to bring:
- Photo ID for each adult (19 yrs+)
- Proof of residence
- Birth Certificates, Passports or Care Cards are acceptable indentification for children who live with you and must be shown at the time of registration.
- Proof of income from previous month, such as a bank statement or government-issued document
(Click here for examples of acceptable Photo ID)
ANGEL TREES
The Angel Tree program helps stock the SOS Toy Shop. Visit a local participating business and you’ll discover an SOS Angel Tree. The gifts listed on these Angels have been identified as needed in our Toy Shop. Purchase the gift listed on one of the Angel ornaments, attach the Angel to your unwrapped gift and return it to the business location or to the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville to ensure it is included in the gift distribution. A list of 2026 Angel Tree businesses will be updated shortly.
CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS FOR SENIORS
The Qualicum Beach Newcomer’s Club fills Christmas stockings and gift bags with small gifts like soaps, toques, ornaments, socks, books, and handmade gifts. SOS Volunteers deliver the Christmas stockings and gift bags provided by the club to local residents (aged 65+), who are isolated or without close friends or family, and are SOS clients. Supplies are limited.
VOLUNTEER AND SUPPORT
The SOS Caring for Community at Christmas program volunteer campaign is ramping up. We are looking to recruit new volunteers for the 2026 Christmas program. Please reach out if you are interested – the deadline to apply to volunteer for the 2026 Christmas season is Friday, October 9. For more information call 250-248-2093 ext. 230.
CARING FOR COMMUNITY AT CHRISTMAS PROGRAM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
Client Registration – Meeting with clients in person to register them for our Christmas program.
Reception and Grocery Gift Card Distribution – Greeting and signing in clients. Issuing Grocery store gift cards to registered Christmas program clients.
Toy Sorting – Sorting donated toys to be distributed to parents and grandparents through the SOS Toy Shop.
Angel Tree – Drop off tree tags at community businesses. Pick up donated toys from businesses and bring them to SOS.
Toy Shop Elf – Working one-on-one with clients in the Toy Shop and supporting them while they select gifts for their children and grandchildren.
Community Events– Attending Community fundraisers such as the Tigh-Na-Mara Toy Drive and Silver Spur Toy Ride and helping with toy collecting and other tasks.
Setup/Tear-Down – Setup/tear-down shelving for the SOS Toy Shop and unpacking boxes from storage.
Christmas Stocking Delivery – Deliver donated Christmas stockings to isolated seniors in District 69.
Co-Chairs – Looking for a little extra responsibility, supporting the program with setup/take down, organizing volunteers and ensuring everything is running smoothly. (Previous Christmas program volunteer experience required.)
Administration – Fast and accurate data entry of client registration details into a database.
Host your own fundraiser:
Residents can host their own fundraiser with the proceeds coming to SOS to support families and individuals in need through the holidays. Please call Sharon at 250-248-2093 ext. 251 for more information, or click here to learn more about ways to support the SOS Christmas program. For information on Community Fundraising, click here.
2026 COMMUNITY EVENTS BENEFITTING THE PROGRAM
1. Holiday Wreath Facebook Auction
2. Tigh-Na-Mara Toy Drive – Date TBD
a. The Main Event: Join us at the Walbran Ballroom and Cedars Restaurant for the Tigh-Na-Mara Toy Drive. Participants are invited to drop off new, unwrapped toys, gift cards, or monetary donations and enjoy a complimentary breakfast.
b. Drive-Through Option: For those unable to attend the breakfast, a convenient drive-through option will be available at the entrance. Simply drop off your donation and receive a coffee and muffin to-go.
c. Pre-Event Option: Avoid the crowds by participating early! Between 7:30 am and 11:30 am, Monday to Friday, bring your donation (new unwrapped toy, gift card, or cash) to Cedars Restaurant and enjoy a complimentary breakfast. Reservations are highly recommended.
3. Thrifty Foods is a Tigh-Na-Mara Toy Drive drop-off location – Drop off a toy early at Thrifty’s and enter to win a Thrifty’s Gift Basket!
2026 dates and times TBD, drop off a new, unwrapped toy, donate a Smile Card, or non-perishable food item at Thrifty Foods and receive a ballot to enter to win one of two Thrifty Foods Gift Baskets valued at $200 each!
Your donations will help fill the SOS Toy Shop—where parents, grandparents, and caregivers can shop for free—ensuring every child in our community has gifts under the tree this Christmas.
4. Holiday Walk with Santa, his Reindeer and Crafters Market! – Date TBD
Join Berwick Parksville for a free, family-friendly evening with Santa photos, reindeer, ponies, holiday lights, and a festive Crafters Market. Enjoy warm treats and seasonal cheer while supporting SOS and the local Food Bank.
5. The Silver Spur Toy Ride – Date TBD
• Sponsored by Thrifty Foods in Parksville, horses and riders from the Silver Spur Riding Club will dress up for this festive occasion, celebrated this year at the Coombs Fairgrounds!
• Thank you to Thrifty Foods for sponsoring this magical holiday event!
6. Red Apple Toy Drive and Fill the Sleigh Day – Date TBD
- Red Apple collects toy and cash donations over three weeks. The cash donations are rounded up to the nearest dollar and used to purchase gifts needed in our SOS Toy Shop. Red Apple donates five percent of the sales made on Fill the Sleigh Day to SOS.
Please call 250-248-2093 ext. 229 or email coordinator@sosd69.com for more information about this program.
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- 250-248-2093
- sos@sosd69.com
- 245 Hirst Avenue West
PO BOX 898 Parksville, BC V9P2G9
Charitable Number: 107021537RR0001
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