Barrie and District Christmas Cheer needs cash, toys, and volunteers

Donations have dwindled for the Christmas Cheer campaign. (CTV News/Alessandra Carneiro)

Barrie Christmas Cheer is sounding the alarm bell about a lack of donations this season.

In hopes of providing 1,800 local families a happy Christmas morning, Barrie & District Christmas Cheer volunteers are very concerned that donations are dangerously low at this stage of the campaign.

Christmas Cheer is currently sitting at $80,000 raised, which is a far cry from their ultimate goal of raising $400,000 - a massive increase from last year's goal.

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Online and in-person applications are coming in at a rapid pace, said Steph Quenneville, president of Christmas Cheer. 

Christmas Cheer has anticipated that the need in 2023 will be much higher than in previous years as the cost of inflation is hitting Barrie and area families hard.

"At this point in the campaign, we've seen a surge in applications compared to previous years, and it's only the beginning of December," said Quenneville. "We're relying on the community to unite and help meet the demand; currently, our bank account is running low."

Christmas Cheer is asking the community for the following donated items: New unwrapped toys for girls and boys ages 7 – 10 years old and new unwrapped games, puzzles and LEGO for all ages.

Along with food and toys, Barrie & District Christmas Cheer is accepting monetary donations, which can be made directly through their website or by texting the word CHEER to 30333, where the donation amount will be added to your wireless phone bill.