The Swift Current Salvation Army's Christmas campaign has come to a close and with it comes information of all those in need that they helped.

Chock full of holiday programs, the Swift Current Salvation Army distributed Christmas food hampers, hosted a Christmas Day Community Dinner, carried out fundraising at the CP Holiday Train, and of course operated their Christmas Kettle program during the Christmas season.

Final stats are in on their Christmas efforts for this year, and the Swift Current Salvation Army distributed 272 food hampers, 16 Adopt-A-Family hampers, and raised $193,613 for the charitable organization, in addition to hosting 150 people at their Christmas Day Community Dinner.

In regards to the Christmas hampers Major Don Grad with the Salvation Army's Swift Current branch said that while some new people were applying for them, they had experienced some past recipients of the hampers who no longer required help from the Salvation Army, and instead were offering to help others through the organization.

"We had a couple of ladies who actually came in and talked to Sandy, our family services coordinator, (and) said 'you've helped us the last couple of years and it was just really great, we wanted to come back to say thank you and also to let you know we're kind of back on our feet, we've gotten jobs again' and all that sort of stuff, and so they actually said to her 'what can we do to help?"

With the distribution of the hampers, an opportunity for a Christmas present was also given to those receiving the food, as Grad explained.

"Some people when they receive their hamper and, or they see the bag of toys that we bring out to them as part of the hamper, they're just very surprised, they're very pleased to think two or three toys for each of their kids."

Continuing on the gifts, Grad said that they are also packaged before given to those receiving the gifts, in the case that a child may see the gift before Santa Claus makes his rounds.

"We put all the toys in orange bags, orange leaf bags type of thing, that way if there are any kids in the car, they can't see it."

The Salvation Army's Christmas Day Community Dinner was also a success according to Grad, with both the around 150 attendees and 50 volunteers enjoying the various foods served at the event.

"It went very well, there was a little bit of space so that the volunteers would be able to sit down and eat their meal as well, and we had a visit from Santa Claus near the end, and that was fun, he went up and down the rows and shook hands and took photos with people."

Grad said that he had heard from some people that, had it not been for the dinner, they would have been at home watching television by themselves, so being around community members was a welcome change for them.

The Salvation Army's goal for their 2018 Christmas campaign fundraising was $220,000.

Grad said that while they did not reach their goal before Christmas, he noted that it would not cause the organization to change their level of community support that they provide, adding that the tail end of Christmas donations would still be coming in until the end of the year.

"I still think we're going to go over the $200,000 mark, probably $210,000, so there are ways we can try and draw upon some other reserves or something to make it (community support) happen, and if we were to go consistently under for two or three years in a row, then that could start to create an issue where we might have to start making some reductions or changes, at this point, we anticipate we can continue as we are."

Last year the Salvation Army's total donations for the Christmas campaign was $231,775, surpassing their goal of $215,000.