Toy donations dip in Calgary as recession, warm weather dull Christmas spirit

The Salvation Army says toy donations for Christmas are way down this year, just as the charity prepares to help more families than ever in the Calgary area who need assistance over the holidays.

"Our shelves are getting pretty thin at this point in time," saidKaren Livick, executive director for community services with the Salvation Army.

"Some of that may be the economy and the weather and people haven't quite got in to the Christmas spirit yet."

"Usually at this point in time we've packed nearly 1,000 hampers for families and our shelves would be full of those hampers, ready to go out on December 1st. Right now we just don't have the toy stock to keep going."

• Holy socks! Church community collects 6,000 pairs for Calgary's homeless
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary sees 40% drop in donations
• Christmas markets across Calgary and around the region

Volunteers were sent home this week and other shifts were cancelled, says Livick.

The Salvation Army has seena 60 per cent increase in families needing help this Christmas, compared to 2015.

"People love to donate to the smaller kids, but we're really short on toys for ages 9 and up, and also toys for infants," saidLivick.

The Salvation Army isn't alone.

The donation box for Calgary's Toy Mountain campaign, which collects toys for the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter, sits almost empty at Castle Toys.

"At this time, you know, we'd probably be at least a week into the campaign and we'd have had that box emptied already once or twice. We have yet to even have a pick up so far," saidthe store's owner,Nicholas Mason.

Mason agrees the warm weather, as well as the economy, could be playing a part in dulling the Christmas spirit in Calgary.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS|A year in Calgary: 3 dramatically different refugee stories for 3 different families
• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Province eager to offload Deerfoot Trail, but city is waiting for ring road