A non-profit agency in Calgary is canceling its adopt-a-family program this Christmas because it says it doesn't have enough staff to administer this increasingly popular service and run its other year-round programs.

A spokesperson for the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS) says it was a tough decision.

"It really was connecting people in the community, individuals and families who wanted to support vulnerable families through the Christmas season," said Darryn Werth, a senior director with program strategy at CUPS.

The adopt-a-family program started about five years ago, connecting families in need with donors willing to help. In the last few years CUPS saw the number of family requests increase from 127 families in 2013 to 213 in 2015.

Werth says the project always had enough donor support to cover the cost of gifts, clothing and grocery cards. But he says the organization no longer had the time and resources required to oversee the program.

"We've got a whole plethora of professionals who are working with families…they're working at counseling families and going into homes and building skills in those families. And for a period of five to six weeks, we're asking them to do something totally different, and so they lose that continuity of care that we've been providing them for a period of time."

"We were just beginning to realize we need to focus on our core capabilities," said Werth.

In a letter to its donors, CUPS say it intends to redirect families looking for Christmas presents to the Salvation Army.

But the Salvation Army's executive director of community services in Calgary, Karen Livick, says she wasn't aware CUPS had cancelled its program.

"Unfortunately it's not the first time where other agencies have turned to the Salvation Army to pick up some of the increased demand. And as a larger agency we are very fortunate with the global support that we get, so we will try and meet as much of the demand in Calgary as we can with the resources that the public entrusts to the Salvation Army."

Livick notes something similar happened with another charity last year at Christmas time.

"Because it's a feel good, it's a nice thing to do, so they devote staff attention to that, and then as their other programs — full-time during the year — get higher in demand they don't have the resources to divert at Christmas."

Werth says families can also call 2-1-1 to find out where they can access Christmas hampers and other adopt-a-family programs.