The Tree of Hope campaign has wrapped up for another year. And despite COVID-19, Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington says it staged its most successful campaign ever.
Thanks to community donations, over 700 children will have gift cards waiting for them under their Christmas tree. Organizers announced on Wednesday that they’ve raised $150,000 — more than twice last year’s monetary goal.
“We’ve been doing holiday appeals to help our kids for more than 100 years in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington and we’ve been through all sorts of things in that time,” said John Suart, the community relations manager. “The Spanish Flu in 1918, two world wars and we’ve never had a response like this, we’ve never raised as much money as this, we’re never been blown away like this — this is one for the history books.”
Typically, the agency collects toys but because of the pandemic, the focus was on gift cards.
The money not spent on the campaign will fund support programs year-round, including providing beds and bedding, baby cribs and strollers, clothing, children and youth sports and recreation and more. The bulk will go to the agency’s summer camp program, which sends some of the same children helped by the Tree of Hope to camp come July.