Christmas is known as a season of giving, but charities in B.C. say they’re hurting harder than ever before for a handout.

Roughly 200 children on Vancouver Island attend Camp Shawnigan, a program dedicated to helping young people with an array of disabilities.

According to Easter Seals B.C., the group that runs the camp, a stark decline in donations and government support represents a million dollar shortfall.

It means children with autism, down syndrome and other challenges will lose their chance to attend the program next year.

“We have had to suspend our operations, our camp program at Shawnigan Lake on the island and up in Squamish,” said Charlene Krepiakevich. “People aren’t giving as much as they used to.”

The funding phenomenon is far from isolated.

Victoria’s long-standing CFAX Santas Anonymous, which delivers food and gifts to families in need, has seen demand spike and donations go down.

“Our financial donations downtown are certainly down, the malls are down as far as people picking bears off the trees and picking up gifts for their children and for their families,” said program manager Dan Deringer.

Easter Seals B.C. says stagnant salaries and the climbing cost of living are partly to blame for the decline. 

“This is the hardest decision that we’ve had to make and a tough one,” said Krepiakevich. “I’m heartbroken.”

Staff hope to re-open Camp Shawnigan in 2019, but say it would take a major influx in donations and a change in operations for that to happen. 

They are trying to get some of the kids into another camp still operating on the mainland, but it’s unclear if there will be enough space.

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Scott Cunningham