Elves wanted for Holiday Hamper program

Holiday Hamper partners with The Christmas Bureau of Edmonton and Santas Anonymous to help families in need with toys and a meal around the holidays. (CTV News Edmonton)

A local charity is looking for some elves to help make holiday deliveries.

Holiday Hamper volunteers, also known as elves, help fill hampers for families in need during the holiday season. Friday, the charity said it was around 75 elves short of its 1,500 elf goal.

It's also around $5,000 short on its food budget.

"Donations have been a little bit slower than usual. Usually we're probably close to our goal by this time," said Heather O'Kane, of Holiday Hamper. "It's definitely due to the economic instability and rising prices and just inflation in general."

Holiday Hamper provides turkey or fish, and fresh vegetables for a holiday meal.

Each family in need then gets matched up with a family of elves, who buy the rest of the trimmings for a well rounded meal and deliver the hampers on Dec. 16.

The organization is partnered with almost 70 local schools to help students whose families might need some extra help.

"Their teachers, principals and other staff see their families every day and they know which ones are in need," O'Kane said.

The organization is expecting to help 1,600 families this year. That's around 20 per cent more than last year. In addition to the hampers, the children will also receive gifts from Santas Anonymous.

Holiday Hamper has been connecting Edmonton families over the holidays for 23 years.

Last year, the program helped 6,594 Edmontonians and provided gifts from more than 4,000 children.

Volunteer elves can sign up to "adopt" a family here.