CEAP’S Season of Sharing Program Helps Spread Holiday Cheer
With rising costs for necessities like health care, housing and groceries, a local nonprofit is doing its part to make the holiday season a little brighter for families.
Brooklyn Center-based Community Emergency Assistance Programs (CEAP) set up a market where families could pick up free gifts to share with their little ones on Christmas.
Demand for CEAP’s services is on the rise.
Officials say that since October, CEAP has seen a 38 percent increase in first-time users to its food shelf.
Toys and games arranged on tables at CEAP as part of the nonprofit’s Season of Sharing Program.
For those families, buying presents can add to existing financial burdens.
“At CEAP, we don’t view [presents] as extras,” said Kalleah Kennedy, CEAP’s director of mission advancement. “Those are the things that fill your soul. Those are the things that pull you through the depths of winter, that pull you through the hard times. And so for us, those are basic needs. And so, for us to be able to provide those happy memories for children in our community, that is paramount for us.”
This year, CEAP’s Season of Sharing program helped provide more than 3,500 toys to nearly 500 families.
Related: Brooklyn Center Food Shelf Braces for Impact of SNAP Cuts
