Donations needed to provide Ottawa households with a Christmas supper

With less than a week before Christmas, there is an urgent appeal for donations, as nearly 200 households and families in Ottawa wait to hear if the Caring and Sharing Exchange can provide them with a holiday meal.

With less than a week before Christmas, there is an urgent appeal for donations, as nearly 200 households and families in Ottawa wait to hear if the Caring and Sharing Exchange can provide them with a holiday meal.

"We did expect an increase but this is overwhelming," says executive director Cindy Smith. "We're seeing a significant need in the increase of 19 per cent. We have almost 9,000 families on our list and that represents close to 27,000 people in Ottawa in need this year. It's a record."

Through the 108-year-old Christmas Exchange program, community members in need, most of whom are seniors and children, receive food assistance in the form of a voucher or a food hamper.

The program ensures that struggling families can enjoy a healthy and festive meal, leaving them with a sense of dignity and hope for the new year.

"We have an overwhelming number of people looking to have a gift voucher this year," says Smith. "With that, they can go and buy whatever they need. We have people with food sensitivities or just people who are not comfortable with somebody maybe coming to their door to deliver something and we can send money right out the door as soon as we get it to assist them right before Christmas."

This season, the holidays are looking different for many Canadians, especially families, who must grapple with the sharp rise in the cost of living.

Salvation Army spokesperson Glenn Van Gulik says one-in-five households is struggling with food insecurity.