Children and families enjoy a variety of festive fun thanks to holiday activities and winter food programs.
The HAF program provides four hours of activities per day, including meals, over four days during school holidays.
This year the focus is on bringing families and communities together at local centres.
Preston’s Moore Nook Children and Family Wellbeing Services is one of many neighborhood centers offering daily services for families during the festive period.
Arts, crafts, Christmas punts, celebratory bingo, and dozens of Christmas baskets are available.
The center was specially visited this week by Santa Claus, who stopped by to deliver presents.
Moore Nook and other neighborhood centers in the county also host “welcome” sessions as part of wider cost of living assistance.
Community Family Support Worker Sharon Grimshaw said, “It’s very important for this community and all communities to provide this kind of offer because people are especially struggling to get hot meals on the table. Because we are.
“This is your chance to take home the food hampers we offer and have a nice, hot meal at this center.
“We are having HAF sessions every day until we finish on December 29th. We hope that in every community something can be done and that it will reach those who need it most.”
“We will also run a ‘welcoming’ session in our neighborhood center in Lancashire during the winter months.”
Minister for Children and Families, Cllr Cosima Towneley said:
“We know that Christmas can be particularly tough for some families, which is why initiatives like the HAF program are so important. It can lead to community action.”
To participate in the HAF program, families must have access to free school meals, but this may be at the Center’s discretion.