Christmas Amalgamated gets help from the Stuff the Cruiser drive put on by local RCMP every year.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - The holidays are meant to be a time for celebrating but for many people the holidays are even more of a struggle.

There are dozens of charities in the city that aim to help those who are struggling right now and throughout the year but here we offer a look at ones that offer a Christmas-specific program.

One you will see throughout the season at shops, schools and street corners around the city is the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign. Often volunteers can be heard singing, playing music or simply ringing their bells as they encourage everyone to donate, and have a happy holiday.

The Kamloops Food Bank is always in extra need of help at this time of year as well. Several larger events help the food bank collect donations for the holidays, Basics for Babies in early December and the CP Holiday Train in mid-December.

Since the late 1970s, Christmas Amalgamated has been running strong in Kamloops, providing for families that cannot afford presents and the makings of a special Christmas dinner. They are now up to roughly 2,000 families that look to the charity to help them get through the holidays. The annual Stuff the Cruiser event takes place in early December every year and goes a long way to helping provide gifts to all the families. Parents can come pick out presents for the kids and hampers are delivered the week before Christmas. People wishing to volunteer can drop in.

Hope for the Holidays began in 2013. Santa brings gifts for the less fortunate on Christmas Day. Gifts can be dropped off at Northcott’s New and Used at 419 Tranquille Rd. or at ASK Wellness. Socks, gloves and food top the list of needed donations.

New Life Mission will be hosting a Christmas dinner on Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. To help prepare for the large annual feast the group runs a Christmas Campaign to help raise money. The Out of the Cold program will also be hosting a Christmas dinner and is looking for food donations. JUMP, a volunteer and peer driven group, will be hosting a Christmas dinner at Mt. Paul United Church on the North Shore on Christmas Day. The group is looking for volunteers to work one of several shifts during the day and donations of a turkey or gift certifcate, gifts, clothes and blankets. Donations can be dropped off at 1103 Columbia St.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2014