Christmas is when connections between family, neighbours, community and even strangers have extra meaning.
At the Native Friendship Centre, the Christmas season inspires connections across the city, the region and radiates far beyond the NFC as their seasonal programs reach out to children, elders, the less fortunate, the disconnected, the hungry, the lonely and, most of all, the friends.
It started on Saturday when the NFC's cultural advisor Bertha Cardinal led the annual Elders' Christmas Dinner for a crowd of more than 120 seniors.
"It is a reminder of just how precious our elders are," said NFC executive director Barb Ward-Burkitt. "We get lots of volunteers out to help at that event because everyone loves to be around our elders."
It's just the start of the holiday blitzin' at the downtown-based organization. They still live by their foundational mandate from inception 49 years ago, to be a connective force for urban Aboriginal people living in Lheidli T'enneh territory be they local or from First Nations outside of the area.
Some of those people are living through hard times, many are far and even estranged from family, and luncheon at their Power of Friendship grand hall is for them. It's especially for downtown residents of all backgrounds.
The Prince George Aboriginal Housing Society and Northern Health also help carry off this annual event that typically gets more than 400 people in for a festive meal.
Next on the agenda is a brand new event in partnership with the Recycling & Environmental Action Planning Society (REAPS).
Families under financial strain can come and do a day of shopping for free items donated by REAPS from their collection campaigns throughout the year.
"We know that families struggle, and these toys and other gently used items, we knew we could play a part in families getting to give gifts this year at Christmas," said Kim Chernenkoff, director of the NFC's Early Childhood Services department.
That office also helps, in partnership with Famous Players, to host a family movie day each December in the leadup to Christmas, and this year it's happening again.
According to Chernenkoff, "a few hundred people" will be able to watch The Grinch, complete with popcorn and a goodie bag, who might not otherwise get to see a movie on the big screen.
The Youth & Community Services department, led by Gwen Budskin, has its own slate of holiday events especially for the young people in the NFC's purview. Their 12 Days of Christmas program makes sure they are all involved in a series of things (a tour of the city's light displays, a talent show, movies, ugly sweater day, etc.) to look forward to at a time when it is easy to fall into loneliness and other unpleasant emotions if you are disconnected from loved ones, for any number of reasons.
"This is where true transformation happens in people, it's where hope is alive, and I get the privilege of witnessing it," Budskin said.
"This time of year you get to feel so much reciprocity, giving back, recognizing what you have and how you can share and help. Christmas is one of those times of year when, if you're alone, you know you're alone even more, so that's why we do 12 days of connection and reaching out and support for more than just a day or two. It gets our kids involved in community, having relationships with each other and with a larger circle. It helps set up peer networks and year-round outreach. It's under the guise of Christmas, but it has a much bigger purpose."
Some of those kids are in the care of the province, so blood family is not in close contact.
Some of those kids are homeless, so attention is paid by the NFC staff and volunteers to the shelters around the city.
One of the 12 Days of Christmas activities the youth partake in together is volunteering for the swarm of food hampers that get distributed around the city to those who are especially hungry. Even single people can be recipients of NFC hampers at Christmas. It takes a small army of volunteers to put them all together in boxes and truck them to the addresses.
It takes about three solid days to assemble the hampers, which number about 275 this Christmas.
"All these things you will notice are about reaching out the hand of friendship," said Ward-Burkitt.
"Christmas for people in need is different than for you or I. If we are able to help out, those people are perhaps a little less vulnerable, and they can one day be the ones helping others. We who have the means are in a position to share and spread positive outcomes, so this is a very special time of year around here."
