The holiday season can be a difficult time for many. There are individuals, families and whole communities struggling to make ends meet. Whether it be financial stress and pressure, or personal challenges, it can be tough to cope without support from others. This is an important time of year to focus on giving to those who need help. The act of giving creates a new perspective and can rekindle a sense of gratitude.

With this in mind, DirectFood.store has partnered with the Pacific Autism Family Network (PAFN) to launch it’s “Be A Santa” holiday initiative. The campaign encourages the community to shop, share and support its cause to help raise donations of fresh, local food for families of the PAFN.

Every order placed on DirectFood.store during the campaign contributes to a food donation, and the company is also rewarding people for sharing the campaign to increase contributions. Additionally, DirectFood.store is packaging fresh and healthy food from their network of farmers and vendors to donate to the PAFN centre directly.

The Pacific Autism Family Network provides support to families across BC who are dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As part of their core purpose, they bring together state-of-the-art resources for research, information, learning, assessment, treatment, and support, while addressing the needs of individuals with ASD and related disorders. 

In their 60,000 square foot facility, they have designed a group of calming, family-friendly spaces that provide a unique and open collaborative environment for BC’s autism community to interact and support one another. “The Hub” as they call it, is a dedicated place for knowledge creation and translation, a centre focused on bringing together research, teaching, and direct care. 

DirectFood.store is proud to partner with PAFN. Anyone can “Be A Santa” and get involved with the campaign by either shopping directly to contribute a food donation, or by creating awareness and sharing the campaign through social media. 

Creating awareness for this cause is essential to help break the stigma associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Here are some vital stats about ASD in Canada: 

In Canada, among children aged 5-17: 

- 1 in 66 have been diagnosed with ASD 

- Males are 4x more frequently identified with ASD; 1 in 42 males were diagnosed with ASD; 1 in 165 females were diagnosed with ASD 

- More than half of children/youth were diagnosed by age 6; more than 90% of children/youth were diagnosed by age 12 

For families, an ASD diagnosis can create significant emotional and financial stress. Funding is crucial as it provides those in the health, education, and social services sectors with the resources to assist those living with ASD. Many require intervention and treatment due to the overwhelming impact ASD has on Canadian children, youth, families, and communities.

DirectFood.store continues to strive towards its mission of empowering local communities by asking the Lower Mainland to participate in its “Be A Santa” campaign. You can don the proverbial red hat and provide your assistance where it’s needed. Many families and individuals who are impacted by these challenges in their life will be grateful.

As a company, DirectFood.store is committed to getting real food into the hands of real people and encourages everyone to do what they can to give wholeheartedly during this holiday season.