If Maureen Quested of the Christmas Bureau was advising Santa on who's naughty and who's nice, she would have to put the province's Housing and Social Development office at the top of the naughty list.
Applications for Christmas hampers are way down this year, thanks to a decision at the housing office not to send out application forms with social assistance cheques in October.
Quested says this is the first year in her nearly 20 years of Christmas Bureau service that she's seen the government abandon the practice.
"Many of our people are shut-ins, and they depend on those mail-in applications," Quested said. "It's created huge confusion, because recipients on social assistance thought they had been cut off from the Christmas Bureau."
As of Nov. 23, the bureau had received only 1,000 applications, instead of the usual 3,000 by this time of year. The bureau receives an average of 7,000 applications each year.
The bureau pleaded its case with the province, which sent out the applications with social assistance cheques last week.
Quested is eager to get the word out that it's business as usual and encourages everyone to get their applications in as soon as possible.
The Christmas Bureau acts as the clearing house for agencies that help out needy families at Christmas with food, gifts and or funds. Applications go to the Christmas Bureau, who then pass them out to groups such as the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Society and Mustard Seed Food Bank.
Applicants aren't asked questions about income level or length of residency in the Capital Regional District.
The bureau is also asking for donations of gifts for children up to the age of 17. Quested said all the member agencies are short on gifts for teens.
"People may not think it's important, but teenagers have to go to school and face their friends who will want to know what they got," Quested said.
She recommends hoodies or CDs, because they work for both boys and girls.
Applications can be picked up at the Ministry of Housing and Social Development at 908 Pandora Ave. or 771 Vernon Ave.; FAX Santa's Anonymous at 1420 Broad St.; the Mustard Seed at 625 Queens Ave.; Single Parent Resource Centre at 602 Gorge Rd. East; St. Vincent de Paul at 828 View St.; Salvation Army, 2695 Quadra St.; Sidney Lions Food Bank 2297 Ocean Ave. in Sidney; the Times Colonist at 2621 Douglas St.; Our Place at 919 Pandora Ave.; West Shore Christmas Hampers at 761 Station Ave.; Burnside Gorge Community Centre 484 Cecelia St.
You can also request an application by mail from the Christmas Bureau of Greater Victoria, P.O. Box 5115, Stn B, Victoria, V8R 6N3 For more information, call 250-388-5704. The Christmas Bureau does not maintain a website.
