By Liz Monteiro
The holiday Season and the donors who made it bright: ‘It really meant a lot.’
This week, most of us get back into the swing of a New Year ushering in 2025 with the gusto we need to continue the important work of putting women and children, and gender diverse people first, offering them the assistance they need.
As we step into 2025, the YW Kitchener-Waterloo, wants to share with you how our Holiday season was made bright by the many donations we received.
Deserving of our utmost praise was a donation we received from the Lions Club of Kitchener. It allowed us to offer Christmas gifts and dinner for residents staying at our emergency family shelter.
Up to 57 children, ranging in ages from three to 18, opened Christmas presents that they didn’t know were coming.
“The kids were so happy and many of them, along with their families, came up to us personally to say thank you which was incredibly meaningful to all of us,” said Akshaya Aji, shelter outreach program co-ordinator. “They were not expecting it,” she said. “The parents were really surprised and grateful. It really meant a lot.”
What made it even more exciting was that the gifts were individualized with staff buying the gifts for the children, allowing them to receive exactly what they wanted, Aji said.
“We had personalized gifts. We know the clients and we know what they like,” Aji said.
A Christmas dinner with all the fixings was also offered to the clients and their families. We couldn’t have done this without the support of the Lions Club of Kitchener.
“We know our community needs help. We want to be the community that helps,” said Lions Club president Michelle Adams. “We become Lions to serve the community.”
The YWKW would also like to acknowledge the many organizations and businesses in Waterloo Region who dedicate themselves to ensuring the holidays bring a smile to the many we offer program and services to.
Feeling Special and Remembered
Stuffin Stockings’ mission is to ensure everyone feels special and remembered during the holidays. They did that with their donation of 68 stockings. The gift bags were filled with hygiene products, along with socks, hats and mitts and snacks.
The group, affiliated with the St. Jacobs Lions Hall, assembled 3,200 stockings, up from 2,700 last year.
Stuffin Stockings’ mission is to ensure everyone feels special and remembered during the holidays. They did that with their donation of 68 stockings. The gift bags were filled with hygiene products, along with socks, hats and mitts and snacks.
The group, affiliated with the St. Jacobs Lions Hall, assembled 3,200 stockings, up from 2,700 last year.
“The demand was up to 5,000 (stocking requests), double of what we see,” said Melissa Fishman, co-chair of the Stuffin Stockings organization. Fishman said about 20 local organizations received stockings and the requests for donations were so high. “People are really feeling the state of the economy and the lack of donations,” she said.
Chrissy McKenty of Miss Dixie’s Foundation donated boxes of baked goods, including breads, muffins and cookies that she received from the grocery store FreshCo located at Hespeler Road and Sheldon Drive in Cambridge.
The baked goods and pastries were dropped off at YW’s Supportive Housing buildings on Block Line Road between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
McKenty operates a non-profit in which she distributes food and supplies to animal rescues and food security programs for humans too.
The baked goods are often distributed to seniors during the holiday season, but McKenty said she had extra and thought of the YW. For that we are grateful.
Making a Difference
Lisa Di Re, a fuel tax analyst at TFS Group in Waterloo, ran a collection drive at her workplace, collecting colouring books, crayons, toothpaste, deodorants, mitts, hats, scarves, underwear, scarves, pyjamas, and gently used clothing for teenagers.
Di Re said her workplace may be a small team of 25 employees, but they are a committed group of workers who wanted to make a difference.
The family-owned transportation business, which recently celebrated 50 years, donated to the YWKW a few years and decided to donate the YW again this year.
Another donation came from Grand River Autism Services in Kitchener.
The small business collected items for 38 “homeless kits,” said company founder Angela Armstrong. It’s the first year the business, which started in 2019, has collected for a charity during the holiday season.
“We are very fortunate to have a great team,” Armstrong said of her 14 employees. The company works with families with children ranging in age from two to 16 who have autism.
The homeless kits contained socks, hats, mitts, personal hygiene items, scarves, Kleenex and granola bars.
cozy pj's
As the holiday season comes to a close, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this year’s giving season so impactful. For more than 10 years, Kait Taylor, chiropractor health assistant at Waterloo North Chiropractic and Massage has organized a pajama drive for the women and children we serve, and this year was no exception. Thanks to Kait and the community’s support, we received almost 100 pairs of pyjamas.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the many generous donors who shared their generosity and kindness with us this Holiday Season, including:
-Laurelwood Public School
-Oak Creek Public School
-WSP Engineering
-Church of the Good Shepherd
-BestBuy Mobile Conestoga Mall
-Liberty Worship Centre
-K-W Basketeers
-Catholic Women’s League – Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
-Nutrition for Learning
-And many individual donors
Your compassion and support brighten the lives of women, children, families, and gender diverse individuals in our community. Thank you for standing with us and making this holiday season truly magical.
