We are thankful that we have so many individuals and businesses in our community who assist us and those in need every year. The Royal Bank in Sackville accepts donations for the campaign, the United Church collects and houses our toys before packing day, and St. Paul’s Anglican Church serves as our packing and distribution centre. Local businesses provide us with gifts and gift cards for teens and we have many wonderful volunteers who help us shop for any last-minute toys, as well as companies like Moneris and Amherst Toyota who hold toy drives for us each year. We are truly a local and grassroots organization. During the year, we donate to local schools for school supplies and nutrition programs, and help those who are in direst need with heating oil, medical supplies and groceries as we can.
Prior to the creation of the Sackville Community Association (SCA), local assistance to citizens and families in need were largely handled by individual local churches. In the 1960s the leadership of these churches, as well as local service groups and individuals, organized and incorporated the Sackville Community Association (SCA) to identify and administer assistance in the community. One of those chief forms of assistance became Christmas Cheer, which provides food, clothing and toys for households in need over the holidays.
While many local churches continue to contribute and support the SCA, over time the association’s board broadened and became a secular registered charity providing various services within the E4L postal code, including Christmas Cheer, along with securing funds from local donors.
In 2023, municipal amalgamation created the Town of Tantramar and the SCA board revised its service area to the new Tantramar boundaries. Today, the SCA operates under the Tantramar Community Association name to reflect its new service area but reports to Canada’s charity registration under the SCA name and corporation.
