The beginning of a new program 

In 1999 Graham Hicks, a writer with the Edmonton Sun, received a phone call from a single mom.

She asked if there was a program in the city that would help provide Christmas gifts for her two teenagers. After discovering that such a program did not in fact exist, Graham went to work, and the Adopt-A-Teen program was born.

In the early years, interested donors were connected directly with the teens, purchasing and sending them a Christmas gift. The program grew quickly, with thousands of families applying for services. The program became what we see today – eligible teens between the ages of 13 and 17 receiving a gift card to help brighten their holiday season.

Since inception, more than 150,000 teens have received a gift card, and more than $7,000,000 have been raised.

As the program continued to grow, the Christmas Bureau became more involved, eventually taking over the fundraising and distribution from our partners at Postmedia.

Over the years, we’ve heard countless stories about the difference these gift cards have made, and the joy that they have brought to the teens and their families.

“My son was so happy to receive his gift card. He was very honored and shared it all with his younger cousins, because he felt they needed it more. He said ‘seeing my younger cousins happy is one of the greatest gifts I’ll ever get.’ As his parent, I could not be more proud of his gratitude and affection towards our family. Thank you so much.”
 

A new chapter begins

The program has now reached a turning point. Fundraising has levelled off, as have the number of applications received from the community. 

We know that the interest remains – both from donors and from clients – and that the program must continue to grow.
At the same time, we need to recognize and acknowledge our own limitations.

The Christmas Bureau is about food and providing a festive meal to individuals and families during the holiday season. The Adopt-A-Teen program has an equally important but different purpose. And for it to receive the focus it needs to grow and thrive, it needs to be driven by an organization that works with and deeply understands teens.

Enter Youth Empowerment and Support Services.

Since 1981, Youth Empowerment and Support Services (yess.org) has provided 24/7, single-point-of-access to immediate and low-barrier physical, mental, cultural, and emotional health supports and a safe place to stay for youth aged 15-21 who are experiencing crisis in the Edmonton Metro Area. Their vision includes a more connected, holistic, and lower-barrier system for youth in crisis, achieved through a collaboratively built network of care to ensure youth get the expert help they need, when they need it, and where they need it.

In other words, the perfect new home for the Adopt-A-Teen program.

Next steps for Adopt-A-Teen

Beginning in October 2025, YESS will be the owners and administrators of the Adopt-A-Teen program, ensuring that all youth in our community have access to this important program.

The Christmas Bureau will continue to process applications on behalf of YESS, ensuring that there are no additional barriers for the clients. The fundraising, promotion, and delivery of the program will live in the capable hands of the YESS team.

This decision was not taken lightly and involved many discussions and planning by our Board to ensure the future success of the Adopt-A-Teen program was in the best hands possible. After reviewing countless of suitable organizations, ultimately the choice was clear that YESS was the best decision.

We know that Adopt-A-Teen donors have a deep and powerful connection to the program and will have a strong desire to continue supporting that program in the future. 

The privacy of our donors is very important, so we want to assure you that we will never provide your information to YESS directly. But we also want to make sure that your donation is used exactly as you envision.

If you have any questions about the program or the decision shared here, please reach out to [email protected].

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