Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter 
Sofia Figueroa-Leon (centre) regional marketing manager PriceSmart poses with wards of the SOS Children's Village after she presented them with gifts at a Christmas treat held at the home in Stony Hill, St. Andrew. - Norman Grindley/ Deputy Chief Photographer
CHRISTMAS IS no easy time of year, say the nation's charities as they struggle to raise funds to meet seasonal demands. The needy expect more. For the staff, their bonuses and new bills are only a new year away.
But for Father Gregory Ramkissoon of Mustard Seed Communities, this has been an uncommonly good Christmas. The charity, which works with deprived and at-risk children at 10 locations islandwide has, Father Ramkissoon says, benefited from an aggressive and organised approach to fund-raising. But he admitted the last four or five years have been hard.
"We have been extremely blessed, in fact, all year we have been soliciting funds. People have been very good in the past two weeks in treating the kids. I thank the Lord. because this is one of the first Christmases we have not had a problem," he said.
However, he cautioned, with the financial strain of Christmas soon gone, the new year will bring bills, one of the problems charities experience year-in-year-out. "January to March are our starving months. And at this time (Christmas) you find people's expectations are much greater, children associate the time with presents and yes, even staff at charities expect bonuses," he explained.
Two charities, the Kingston YMCA and Spanish Town's Children First said this part of a long-term decline in charitable donations. Children First, which works with street and at risk children are resorting to imaginative means to fill their own Christmas stocking, said Executive Director Claudette Pious.
"It is a challenging time, but we are already looking for funding. Certain project areas such as administration; even as we speak, we are trying to find money to pay salaries for Christmas," said Mrs. Pious.
The charity's Christmas treat was saved only by encouraging the children to return bottles, an effort that raised over $8,000 said Mrs. Pious. At Christmas, she said, usually four or five organisations donated, but this year, only Best Dressed Chicken have been forthcoming.
"Our wish is that someone would give us $7.5 million to purchase our premises - that would be the best Christmas gift, right now we are just kotching," she added.
Also Spanish Town-based, and similarly troubled, was Gerlin Bean, managing director of 3-D Projects, an organisation which works with disabled children and their families across five parishes. But the solution for her organisation is to build an income-generating early learning centre in Spanish Town, following a successful pilot project in Mandeville.
But for now, "we have no money to pay staff over the festive season", said Mrs. Bean. "We have had to take out an overdraft just to pay them, it's sad, but our staff our committed and without pay they came out for the Christmas spirit to show the children a good time." Salaries have however she admitted been a problem for the past 10 years.
"Oh boy, let me tell you our money is zero," said a frustrated Sarah Newland-Martin of the Kingston YMCA who has previously told this reporter of her organisation's pressing need for a dedicated fundraiser. "I don't know if it is the economy or the people, I don't know how to put it," said Mrs. Newland-Martin on what she believes is a decline in giving by the Jamaican public.
"Maybe I have a Santa Claus, it's just that I haven't met him yet," she joked. The 'Y' will be closed over the holiday period as every year, which she attributed to their seasonal shortfall in funding.
However, "Jamaicans are still willing to give", believes Major Denzel S. Walcott Community Relations Officer for the Salvation Army. But he believes funding problems arise mainly because of the number of an increasing number of charities competing for donations. Some people he added although unable to afford a donation had volunteered to be part of the kettle drive.
Last year the Salvation Army raised $4.7 million with its kettle collections and had this year targeted to double this to $10 million. But speaking on Thursday morning Major Walcott said only $1.7 million had been raised. "However, we're trying to double this in the last few days of Christmas, we'll have more kettles and we'll be working extra hours," he pledged.
