(Above) The Salvation Army in Maple Ridge, B.C., stocks up on gifts for their Christmas Village. From left, Corina Ardelean, community and family services advocate at Ridge Meadows Ministries, with Sarah Paterson, who worked with Maple Ridge Chrysler Dodge Jeep (Photo: Jessica Vaughan) 

Last December, The Salvation Army in Maple Ridge, B.C., transformed their administrative offices into a Christmas Village, with trees, lights and even striped awnings, to recreate the feel of an outdoor market in a town square.

“We wanted to engage all the senses,” says Corina Ardelean, community and family services advocate at Ridge Meadows Ministries. “We had Christmas music, hot chocolate and cookies, and shelves stuffed with toys.”

It was their first Christmas trying a new approach to the traditional gift program. In the past, they used an “Adopt a Family” model, matching sponsors with families and providing a wish list. Unfortunately, some donors would go above and beyond, and some didn’t. When one family received broken items, they knew they needed to make a change.

“It was heartbreaking,” says Amelia Norrie, fundraising co-ordinator. “We wanted to find a way where people could come in and get the same thing, whether it was the first day or the last day of shopping.”

Now, the team fills the shelves, with support from donors and local businesses, and families sign up for a time to come and “shop,” using a point system. The village is open during the first two weeks in December, with evening and weekend appointments available.

“I want the families to have a personal connection to the items they choose, and for the kids to know that these gifts come from Santa or from their mom and dad,” says Ardelean. “We try to stay up to date with what’s popular now, what kids are excited to receive.”

What sets the Christmas Village apart from other programs in the community is that they focus on the whole family, not just children.

“I don’t want to put an age limit on the people we are willing to serve, so we provide options for parents, too,” says Ardelean. “We also want to serve those who would not regularly receive a Christmas present—people without family, seniors who are struggling, people on the streets or those who are recently housed. They can choose their own gift or have a volunteer wrap something, so they have something under the tree. Christmas should be for everybody.”

The response to the new approach was overwhelmingly positive.

“A lot of tears, surprise, gratitude, relief,” says Ardelean. “I had a lot of people reach out to me afterward to say, ‘We were blown away.’ ”

But it wasn’t just the clients who were moved. Ardelean’s parents, who came to Canada as refugees after the Romanian Revolution, volunteered with the Christmas Village.

“After my dad helped a woman who was a refugee, he had to sit down and cry for a few minutes, because he was brought right back to his beginnings in Canada,” she says.

When they first arrived, they needed help from a Salvation Army food bank. At Christmas, they had few expectations.

“We didn’t know if there would be presents,” she remembers. “But someone from The Salvation Army delivered a hamper, even though my parents hadn’t requested one. Someone took the time to help us, in a non-judgmental way. We were amazed by the goodness of people.

“When I started working for the Army, my parents said we had come full circle.”