The Christmas season is undoubtedly a time of giving, but that doesn’t always equate to stacks of presents with pristine bows and flawless wrapping paper.

It’s a staggering truth for some and one all too familiar to ShareLife, which empowers over 40 Catholic social service agencies to give the gifts that truly matter this time of year. 

“We know that this is always a very special time for us and there are many needs in our society right now. Agencies are responding to people who are coming to them for help and it’s seen especially during this time of the year, around the Christmas season,” said Arthur Peters, executive director of ShareLife, the charitable fund-raising arm of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

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ShareLife and its staff are well aware that the combination of the end of the calendar year coupled with the expectations of what Christmas should look like make for a difficult time for many in need. Be it family issues, poverty, food insecurity, people dealing with the loss of a family member, disability issues and even the elderly experiencing loneliness around the holidays, ShareLife’s agencies step up to meet these peoples' needs. In addition, the organization is putting money aside to assist local food banks and meal programs, a major concern at any time of the year. 

“People look at this time of the year and ask in the spirit of giving, not only giving within their families, how can they help the greater community as well?” Peters said. 

Now, the Catholic faithful have the chance to give a meaningful Christmas gift with twice the impact. An anonymous donor has pledged to match donations to ShareLife from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 up to $500,000. Peters said this generosity will ensure that every dollar makes a lasting difference as the end of the year approaches. 

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“This year, ShareLife committed almost one million new dollars towards our agencies on top of what we raised last year. Even so, we are very grateful to the generosity of this parishioner who came forward and wants to help the campaign,” he said. “This does help spur giving within the archdiocese because people want to see their gifts maximized, they want to give beyond what their dollar is worth and the anonymous matching gift helps to do that.” 

Though the ongoing Canada Post strike has affected ShareLife, Peters said it is using social media and the groundwork of parishioners across the Archdiocese to get the word out on the importance of donating this season as well as hoping to reach those who have yet to donate. 

As of early December, ShareLife is around 87 per cent toward reaching its 2024 Parish Campaign goal of raising $14 million for its agencies, sitting at just over $12.2 million. The team at ShareLife is optimistic a final push as Advent winds to a close will see its goal attained. 

Numbers aside, it is genuine kindness and charity that is seen from the organization’s supporters that continue to warm the hearts of the ShareLife team. During a season that is synonymous with generosity, Peters noted that it is our faithful duty to ensure that Christmas is more than decorative boxes under a tree. 

“The Catholic community has been very generous to the ShareLife campaign year after year and we are optimistic that they will continue to be as they help us to achieve our goal on behalf of the agencies who benefit from this work,” he said. 

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“More than that, this mission is the Catholic appeal, it is who we are. As a Catholic community, we extend the hands of Christ to those in need, we live the Gospel by providing for those in need and one of the ways that we do that in the Archdiocese of Toronto is through the ShareLife campaign.”

To donate, visit sharelife.org.