Despite the chill outside and the hustle and bustle inside, this season still seems to bring out the best in people. Charities like East Wellington Community Services rely on the donations they receive in December and January to keep them afloat next year. There are many ways to give and you probably see them all the time. Direct mail campaigns from various charities have been crowding everyone’s mailboxes for weeks; and we have seen a booming number of food drives put on by churches, service groups, schools and businesses. However, every once in a while a person comes up with a new and creative way to give back, and sometimes the simplest ideas can be the best.
Jill MacPherson teaches Hatha Yoga at her studio in Erin. This year she wanted to give back to her community by supporting EWCS’s Christmas Hamper program. This program matches sponsors to families in need with the goal of giving them a truly happy Christmas – complete with breakfast, dinner and a few gifts. What often happens is that donors chose to sponsor families with young children, and those with teenagers can get overlooked. So last week Jill encouraged her yoga classes to bring in a gift card of their choice, which could then be distributed to the families in their hampers. Nearly $1,500 worth of gift cards – to Stone Road Mall, Old Navy, Cineplex Movies, Future Shop, and more – were donated to EWCS. “All of our teenagers will be looked after this Christmas. This is the first year I don’t have to worry about them.” said Gillian Riseborough, Manager of Community Supports at EWCS. This great little idea will make a huge impact on this year’s Christmas Hamper Program.
