Program Objectives:
The Christmas holiday season can be a difficult period for people on low and fixed incomes such as the tenants of the Windsor Homes Coalition Inc. At a time when most Windsorites are bustling about shopping and preparing for Christmas get-togethers with family and friends, people financially less well off often struggle to find the means to celebrate while still paying their bills. Windsor Homes Coalition Inc. and its community supporters are well aware of this economic reality. The annual WHCI Christmas Program is one way of extending the joys of Christmas to those among us who are less fortunate.

Program Overview:
The WHCI Christmas Program has four components, namely, the provision of Christmas Food Baskets, Christmas Toys for Children, WHCI Tenant Christmas Party, and Family Sponsorships for Christmas.

Each WHCI tenant is provided with a Christmas food basket that includes a turkey, stuffing, and numerous other food items to ensure that each and every one is able to celebrate the holidays with an enjoyable meal. Limited numbers of Christmas baskets are also available to non-tenant individuals and families in urgent need. Every Christmas WHCI prepares and distributes about 120 of the holiday food baskets.

WHCI also organizes an annual Christmas Party for its tenants complete with food, beverages and a special visit by Santa Claus. Through the year WHCI and its community supporters work to ensure that every tenant child 16 years old or younger receives a toy or gift for Christmas. Santa gives the children their present at the annual Christmas Party.

Year to year there are always a small number of tenant families that have had a particularly hard year. WHCI is able to aid these families through Family Sponsorships for Christmas. Needy families prepare a Christmas wish list itemizing children’s toys, family clothing and foot ware needs, plus other household items such as towels, linens and bedding. Anonymous individual sponsors then purchase listed items and gift-wrap them for delivery to the recipient families before Christmas