Santa's elves speak
December 13, 2004
By Cam Tait
We asked for Christmas stories last week, and we got 'em!
David from Gibsons, B.C. sends a piece by Christine Wood about elves
setting up shop in Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Egmont and Pender
Harbour next weekend. Volunteers are working hard from now until Christmas
collecting and delivering presents for families on the West Coast. And
if history is on their side, this festive season should be very rewarding
for the Elves Club volunteers. Last December they visited 725 households
bearing gifts. Funds were raised on Coast Cable 11 on Saturday to buy
food and comfort items for this year's drive. Local talent was featured
and businesses contributed items for call-in bidding. Since the telethon
began in 1986, $20,000 has been raised for the cause. It's a true community
effort, with schools having food drives and making Christmas wreaths
for gifts, and other groups like Weight Watchers, the local fire department,
the hospital auxiliary ladies, churches, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts,
Army Cadets, Air Cadets, youth groups, and seniors all lending a hand.
Margaret writes about her Ladies Orange Benevolent Association lodge
in Alliston, Ontario. Every year the group picks two or three families
in the local area and gives them a Christmas basket with necessary ingredients
for a full turkey dinner and enough food to last over the holidays.
There are also two or three gifts for each child and at least one gift
for each adult. A group of 12 women takes on the task. "One of the members
is married to a restaurant owner," writes Margaret. "He places a box
in his restaurant for people to donate toys for this purpose in early
November. The rest of the toys come from the members." The food is bought
with funds raised by the lodge throughout the year.
Jeff Selby of Elmira, Ontario recently lived in a Mennonite buggy outside of a Sobeys in Waterloo. Meredith writes about Jeff, who was out to raise $20,000 for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region last week. For every dollar Jeff raises, Sobeys will contribute 25 cents. But there's more going on in the Waterloo area.
Ann, the volunteer/work co-ordinator for RAISE (Responsive Action In Serving the Elderly), shares a story from Kitchener, Ontario. RAISE provides transportation and assistance for seniors going to medical appointments and grocery shopping. Last year, a volunteer driver asked if there was someone who would be alone for Christmas. Arrangements were made for the volunteer to share a few hours on Christmas Day with a man who would otherwise have been by himself.
Jasmine writes to tell us about the international volunteer organization, Junior Civitan. For the past three years, the Junior Civitan club in Dundas, Ontario has worked on a charity project for less fortunate teens. Junior Civitans have teamed up with other volunteer organizations to create Christmas gift bags for homeless teens in the area. "This year, the Junior Civitans are taking on this project by themselves, and are sure that they can meet this year's goal of filling 40 bags to the top," says Jasmine.
Do you know someone who deserves to be in the Charity Village Spotlight? Send us their name, telephone number and details about their community involvement to cam@charityvillage.com.
