Local charities and non-profits are still out in the community after a hectic holiday season. Christmastime is the busiest time of the year for most non-profits. They see a rush of donations and volunteers during the holidays. But early in the new year, that support typically dries up. “It’s really wonderful that the outpouring of support during the season of giving gives us a little bit of a cushion in the first couple of months of the year, but it is necessary for us to fundraise throughout the year to be able to continue to meet the demand,” said Danielle McIntyre, Interfaith Food Bank executive director. “On the client services side, our numbers are just as high right now as they were at Christmastime. But we definitely do see a complete drop-off in donations at this time of year, as many people have just supported us with the Christmas campaign.” Volunteerism usually sees a drop-off in January as well. Many volunteers will take time off in January after a busy December. “Typically, a lot of volunteers are kind of doing the reset in January. So, they’re not necessarily engaging in volunteer opportunities or kind of taking a bit of a pause,” said Sandi Davis, Volunteer Lethbridge executive director. That will likely change soon. Volunteer Lethbridge is accepting signups from non-profits for 2026. Soon, they’ll help to organize volunteers for the organizations that need them. “We had, last year, just under 100 member organizations that took part. We are just starting our renewal for memberships for 2026,” said Davis.
