Christmas is months away, but the season of giving is on the mind of many in Lethbridge.
The annual Christmas Hope campaign brings local agencies together to support those in need. The groups involved include both the Lethbridge and Interfaith food banks, the Salvation Army, Lethbridge Family Services Angel Tree, MyCityCare Shop of Wonders, the LSCO Golden Giving Tree, and Volunteer Lethbridge.
The 2025 holiday campaign supported over 8,800 individuals in Lethbridge and the surrounding area, according to officials.
Members are getting a jump on this year’s initiative, through the ‘July Gift Card Campaign’.
For the entire month of July, Christmas Hope partners are encouraging the community to donate gift cards at any of their seven locations:
- Lethbridge Food Bankmain office- 1016 2nd Ave. South
- Interfaith Food Bankmain office- 1103 3rd Ave. North
- The Salvation Army- anylocal Salvation Army location
- MyCityCaremain office – 1401 28th St. North
- Angel Tree Lethbridge Family Services-1107 2A Ave. North
- LSCOmain office- 500 11th St. South
- Volunteer Lethbridgemain office- 324 5th St. South
Officials said gift cards from grocers, major retail chains, toy stores, restaurants, and local businesses go a long way, and can help the agencies gather items that go toward hampers and care packages for the Christmas Hope campaign.
“Donations of grocery gift cards go a long way for our local food banks,” said Danielle McIntyre, executive director of the Interfaith Food Bank. “Being able to make those last-minute purchases of exactly what we need at the time is a huge relief when we’re in the throngs of the Christmas rush.”
She added that through bulk purchasing, food banks can stretch a dollar much further than the average citizen. “Depending on sourcing, a one-dollar donation can be stretched to three-dollars or even five-dollars when food banks do the purchasing,” McIntyre said.
Dryden Roesch, marketing manager with Lethbridge Family Services, said gift cards are an important part of the LFS’ Angel Tree gift bundles, “especially for teens who like to do their own shopping, and times that we have limited info about a child’s wish list”.
“Our friends at Park Place Mall generously give Angel Tree a discount on bulk purchases of gift cards,” Roesch stated. “[That] means that Angel Tree families can turn the gift card into quality time as a family—they can enjoy a day at the mall to pick out the perfect gift.”
Community ministries officer with the Salvation Army, Zach Marshall, noted that gift cards can help alleviate some stress if you do not know what gift to get someone.
“Teens are sometimes very difficult to shop for as interests and needs diversify. The Toys for Tots Campaign supplements gifts for teens with gift cards, usually to places such as Park Place Mall or Walmart, to ensure that they can have a greater degree of personalization in their Christmas gifts,” Marshall remarked.
USED GIFT CARDS
Community members can even donate gift cards they have used, but which might still have a remaining balance they do not plan on using.
“Instead of hoarding them for a day that may or may not come, donating them to the Christmas in July Gift Card Campaign could allow Christmas Hope Partners to pool them with other cards to the same vendor, increasing funds available for providing for the community,” officials stated.
When donating a used gift card, make sure to mark the balance on the card prior to donating, if possible. Officials said if the balance is not known or partial, you can write down ‘balance unknown’ when making the donation.
“We see every day how important it is to maximize available resources to support the growing demands of our community, and how even small acts of generosity can have a meaningful impact,” said Tim Rempel, executive director of the Lethbridge Food Bank.
Tanya Lister, Lethbridge director for MyCityCare added, “Gift cards are a huge help for us at MyCityCare’s Shop of Wonders because they let us pivot to whatever we need most. They cover the everyday essentials like tape, gift bags, and wrapping paper, but they also give us the flexibility to fill unexpected gaps in our toy donations—especially when it comes to stocking our Teen Room so those older kids don’t get left out.”
Sandi Davis, executive director of Volunteer Lethbridge, said even a seemingly small $5 gift card to a local coffee shop can make a big impact.
“Christmas Hope starts with small acts of kindness,” Davis said.
“This Christmas in July, every gift card donated not only supports families through the Christmas Hope campaign but can also help recognize and celebrate the volunteers who give their time to make our community stronger all year long.”
Throughout the year, the partner agencies also use gift cards to address immediate needs for community members.
“At LSCO, we often run into folks who are not receiving their full pension amounts, caring for grandchildren suddenly or have experienced a health crisis, among other things, leaving them financially vulnerable,” stated Amy Cook, Support Services Manager with the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization.
“Christmas in July Gift Card campaign would allow us the opportunity to provide grocery gift cards or restaurant gift cards to seniors when they are in need and have no other place to turn to if the food banks have already been accessed, or they are unable to physically get to the food bank. Being able to provide this small amount of relief will have such a large impact as we assist in sorting out a long-term solution.”
Further details about Christmas Hope are available on the campaign website.
