SaskatchewanOperation Santa has launched its 2025 holiday campaign in Saskatoon, aiming to support hundreds of families who may be struggling this holiday season. Goal is to help more than 750 families in SaskatoonAishwarya Dudha · CBC News · Posted: Nov 17, 2025 3:27 PM EST | Last Updated: 7 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.An joint community effort aimed at supporting hundreds of families across Saskatoon struggling to make ends meet this holiday season. (CBC)Operation Santa has launched its 2025 holiday campaign in Saskatoon, aiming to support hundreds of families who may be struggling this holiday season. The annual initiative puts together hampers, gifts and essentials for families facing hardships including supporting students, elders, people without housing, people with disabilities and others. The campaign is run by 16 community organizations who already know of families who are struggling in the city. The families do not know they’ll be receiving support gifts until the packages arrive at their door. Community organizations that are part of the project include Saskatoon Friendship Inn, Saskatoon Tribal Council, Saskatoon Public Schools, White Buffalo Youth Lodge and Saskatchewan Polytechnic. “Last year, our goal was 750 families. We actually provided hampers to 1,100 families, 198 students and about 100 residential school survivors,” Shirley Greyeyes, director of Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation and co-chair of Operation Santa, said at an announcement made at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge in Saskatoon Monday morning. This year’s goal is 750 but Greyeyes said that she knows they will go well above that. She said that families are referred anonymously through front-line agencies working with clients year-round. Referrals include households ranging from individuals to families of up to 24 people living together. “We also customize our hampers so that we have hampers that are for families who actually have a house and apartment. Then we have hampers for those that don’t actually have a house, they’re homeless, but they’re in a hotel because the needs are different,” she said. Operation Santa is officially launching its 2025 campaign. The initiative is run by 16 community organizations that work together to deliver hampers, gifts and food support to families in need. (CBC)Anne-Marie Rollo is a trustee at Saskatoon Public Schools, one of the partner organizations, and she said that the initiative shows the impact of communities working together. “The support offered through this initiative goes far beyond items and a hamper, they feel valued and supported,” she said. “We are deeply grateful to the Dakota Dunes Community Association, their partners and the many volunteers who make this work possible. Their year-round commitment ensures that families across Saskatoon are experiencing meaningful care during a time that can be especially challenging.” Greyeyes said it’s about respect and dignity. “They’re just as important as you or I. They just maybe are going through something a little bit different right now that they can’t fully control,” she said. She shared a story from last year that she says captures the spirit of the program, involving a young mother of two who had just secured a home after living without shelter.“She was able to put the deposit down and get the apartment. She sat her kids down and she told them this is our Christmas … this is all we can have,” Greyeyes said. “A couple days later, an organization knocked on her door and they had this big, this bag of gifts. And she said that she literally broke down and cried because she just finished telling her children they were having nothing,” she said. ABOUT THE AUTHORAishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She specializes in immigration, justice and cultural issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. You can email her at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca
Operation Santa launches holiday campaign for people in need
