Many single parents struggle to pay the bills, maintain shelter and keep their kids clothed and fed on one income.
It didn’t get any easier in the pandemic.
“There’s a higher need than ever,” said Sarah Downey, executive director of 1Up Single Parent Resource Centre.
Downey said COVID exposed cracks in many relationships, with lockdowns and isolation leading to increased instances of domestic violence and family break-ups.
“We’ve definitely grown — our membership has probably doubled in the last year,” she said. “For most of our programming, we’re seeing double to triple the amount of requests for help.”
The group does a back-to-school backpack program in the fall that normally hands out about 120 satchels with school supplies. This year, they handed out more than 300.
For Christmas, it typically hands out 70 hampers in a raffle, but saw more than 300 enter the draw this year instead of the usual 150.
But as much as the demand has grown, so has the generosity of the community, Downey said.
“We’ve just had an incredible amount of people step up with donations as well,” she said. “I’m in this in-between place of witnessing the giving and the receiving and it’s so balanced. It’s beautiful.”
Cue the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, which has provided the centre with a $10,000 donation this year that will help one of the most overlooked segments of 1Up’s membership.
“This particular gift is really going to help us fill a need that we haven’t been able to meet anywhere else — having a gift or gifts for youth,” said Downey, noting there are always lots of toys and other items donated for young children, but teenagers are often forgotten.
“We really literally had nothing for youth that are aged 11 to 18, and we serve families that have kids up to 18,” she said.
The Times Colonist Christmas Fund’s donation will fund a slew of gift cards for that overlooked demographic.
“They are cards for a mall where they could have choice or the parent can have more choice [on where it’s spent],” she said.
Half of the donation will go to gift cards for youth and the other half will be spent on grocery-store gift cards so families have a little bit extra this season.
1Up, which has been around for 40 years, helps single-parent families with a variety of programs, ranging from a food bank and counselling to clothing and necessities for parents and children.“We have services that will kind of help them get through the month a little bit more easily,” said Downey, adding some people are in need financially, while others need emotional support.
For Brenda, a single parent to her eight-year-old daughter Monica and nephews Elijah, 6, and Leighton, 4, 1Up has been a trusted confidante, shoulder to lean on and extra pantry when needed. In a recent newsletter from 1Up, the organization detailed Brenda’s story and the fact that backing and support from 1Up helped Brenda through a two-year effort to have her nephews live with her full-time.
With a larger family, Brenda has used 1Up’s clothing room to make sure the kids have new clothes to wear, school supplies and bathroom necessities.
Brenda said her life may appear hectic, but given the right support, it is the most rewarding experience.
“I love being a single parent. The best feeling is having your child say that you’re the best mom in the world,” she said.
HOW TO DONATE
You can donate by going to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund fundraising page at timescolonist.com/donate. That will take you to the CanadaHelps website, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
Or mail a cheque to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 201-655 Tyee Road, Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5.
You can also use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
