Toys Help Vulnerable Children Smile This Christmas

This Christmas, more than 90,000 children across Canada will receive toys from The Salvation Army because of your generosity.

“The toys we get from The Salvation Army means my children won’t be sad on Christmas morning,” says Tahseen. “They’ve suffered enough hardship.”

Memories of Baghdad

In his hometown of Bagdad, violence and armed conflict forced Tahseen and his family to flee for safety in nearby Syria.

“In Baghdad, our family-owned jewelry business was robbed,” says Tahseen. “I was sitting there when family members were shot. Then the store was bombed and I lost my leg in the explosion. In Syria we thought we’d be safe, but the war followed us.”

In Syria there were random explosions. “I slept only one to two hours a night,” says Tahseen. “Then one night a bomb dropped on my apartment building and it collapsed. My daughter was found under a window.”

When it’s hard to celebrate

In 2013, the Al-Jaree family arrived in Toronto for a better life. “I wanted my kids to grow up in a place that was peaceful and safe,” says Tahseen.

Soon after his arrival, Tahseen sought out The Salvation Army’s Agincourt Community and Family Services for help with food and Christmas assistance.  “When you constantly struggle to make ends meet, it’s hard to celebrate the season.”

“The needs around us this Christmas are abundant,” says Major Les Marshall, Territorial Secretary for Public Relations and Development. “There are thousands of children and families who could use a bit of help to brighten their holiday.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing my children smile on Christmas morning,” says Tahseen. “That’s one positive thing that has come out of the war.”