The Christmas season has always been a magical time of year for me. It’s a time to celebrate the season of Advent, waiting and building excitement for Jesus’ coming into our world, bringing light, hope and love to a hurting people. For me, it is a season of joy.

Making the Season Meaningful

When I began working with The Salvation Army three years ago, the Christmas season took on a whole new level of activity. From Thanksgiving weekend until Christmas Eve, my days were filled with Toy Mountain, Salvation Army kettles, Christmas parades and more. With all the busyness, I relished the opportunity to share the wonders of the Christmas season with individuals and families in the Ottawa area.

This past Christmas season was nothing like what I had expected it to be. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of planning for 2020, and the constant changes to restrictions made it difficult to plan too far in advance for larger-scale events.

Facing the reality of a very different Christmas, our team focused on ways that we could make the holiday season meaningful for local families with smaller initiatives instead of our traditional, large-scale events.

Impactful Stories

One area we focused on was providing artificial Christmas trees along with the hampers handed out by our community and family services. In total, we procured more than 100 trees for local families.

“The pandemic made things very difficult for many people last year,” says Sandra Randall, executive director at The Salvation Army’s Bethany Hope Centre in Ottawa, “so the Christmas trees brought joy and happiness to end a year of distress.”

As part of the public relations team, I wanted to be present as the Christmas trees were distributed in order to hear and share how The Salvation Army was brightening the holidays of those receiving assistance. Little did I know the significant impact those stories would have on me, not just professionally but also personally.

“A Gift From God”

As I spoke with families as they received their tree, I heard again and again that, without the support of The Salvation Army, their family would not have had a tree, presents or a traditional Christmas dinner.

A young parent from the Bethany Hope Centre shared with me, “We were going to skip Christmas because we couldn’t afford it, but this tree and the decorations made a big difference. It’s the little things that helped make this Christmas special.”

“I didn’t celebrate Christmas last year, as money has been tight,” a person who received a Christmas tree at The Salvation Army in Picton, Ont., told me. “This year, having a tree is really going to brighten it up for the kids, and it is helping to put us in the Christmas spirit! It means a lot to me and my grandchildren.”

While I knew that there were many who receive assistance from the Army, either with food, clothing, educational or spiritual support, I was naively unaware of how something that I take for granted, such as a tree, was a luxury that some families could not enjoy at Christmas.

“My kids had been asking for a tree, and I had to say, ‘Please stop asking. We can’t afford it. Next year will be better,’ ” a mother of four children who received support from The Salvation Army explained to me. “Then we received a phone call from the Ottawa Citadel church asking if we wanted a Christmas tree. It was a gift from God!”

Echoes of Long Ago

My own Christmas tree took on a new meaning for me; the twinkling lights reminded me of how Jesus’ birth brought light into the world and into our lives. Every time I placed a present or hung a new ornament, I remembered the hope, joy and love a Christmas tree could bring.

Although Christmas 2020 was unlike any I had experienced before, it reminded me of what the season is truly about. There were no fancy parties or get-togethers with friends.

We focused less on all the items that are traditionally tied to Christmas, such as shopping for presents or big gatherings with friends, and more on simply being with those who are closest to us, showing love and support in a difficult time.

Last year echoed the very first Christmas, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and a family gathered together without fanfare, supporting each other with love, joy and hope.

Heather Prystanskiis a marketing and events co-ordinator for The Salvation Army in Ottawa.

Photos: Kimberly Hoy

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