Marisa Thorburn of the London police department’s victim services unit and Randy Evans of the London fire department encourage citizens to participate in their Christmas toy drive Saturday. (DEREK RUTTAN, The London Free Press)
Christmas should be a magical time for children, but not all families have the means for gifts that will surprise and delight. Many Londoners are stepping up to help them out. Kate Dubinski shares three such stories.
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Laid-off London mom puts faith in LifeSpin
The 10-year-old is similar to other girls her age in London.
She loves Shopkins, the newest toy craze, and is practising her recorder for her school’s Christmas concert.
She loves to draw, read and run. She does her homework after swimming at the Boys and Girls Club.
But her mom is struggling. She lost her job as a dental assistant, and is collecting employment insurance. “I keep telling her it’s a tough time, but it’s hard to explain to a child,” said the single mom, who didn’t want her name used. “It’s hard to pay the hydro, the rent, to keep a car on the road. There’s so much to think about when you have to keep a roof over their head.”
What the mom really wants is for her daughter to have a normal Christmas, with presents under the tree, to take her mind off the hard times.
The family is one of more than 700 matched with sponsors through LifeSpin’s Christmas program.
“There’s so much to think about. You want Christmas to be a happy time, so (LifeSpin) just takes one stress off your head,” the mom said.
That’s the whole point of the agency’s program, said Jacqueline Thompson, executive director of the organization that works with low-income families.
Londoners nominate families for the Christmas program, and those families are matched with sponsors. More than 130 families still need sponsors.
Last year, 951 families were matched with sponsors. The sponsors, who can sign up on the organization’s website, are given a list of children in the family and some of their interests, so they can tailor their donations to the family.
LifeSpin is partnering with police, firefighters and paramedics for an emergency services toy drive Saturday. Donated toys will be given to families not matched with sponsors.
“We want every child to wake up to something on Christmas morning,” Thompson said. “We told those children that Santa brings gifts to children who are good, and we want them to know that they are all good.”
LifeSpin has been running the Christmas program since 1994. A single mom who left an abusive relationship with her three children came up with the idea so others like her were able to give their children a happy Christmas.
“The child shouldn’t have to be exposed to the hardships of the economy,” Thompson said. “We’re a wealthy country. We shouldn’t leave those children behind. We are blessed to live in Canada, and the children should feel that blessing, too.”
TO HELP
What: LifeSpin emergency (services) toy drive
When: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Who: London police, London fire, RCMP, OPP and paramedics collecting new unwrapped gifts, clothing and gift cards. Santa will be taking pictures with children, and Middlesex-London paramedics will host a teddy-bear checkup, so kids can bring their sick or injured stuffies.
Where: Fire hall No. 1, 400 Horton St. (at Colborne Street).
Online: Sponsor a family at lifespin.org
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Victoria Craig and Paula Morand are raising money to sponsor 50 families for Christmas. (DEREK RUTTAN, The London Free Press)
MoMondays wants to make it day to remember
Paula Morand couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.
Her business partner, Victoria Craig, has asked the 400 people who attend MoMondays, an open mic event of inspirational and motivating stories, to donate to families in need.
“We’ve built this wonderful community in London. They want to make a difference, and Victoria thought, ‘What if we could get them to look outside of this community and do something of greater good?’ ” said Morand, who started MoMondays in London with Craig.
People can sponsor families online, and Morand and Craig hope to give each family $500 worth of gift cards, groceries, toys and gas.
“We want to show these families that people care,” Morand said.
“When you have a vision that is aligned with people’s hearts and a real, tangible need, then amazing things can happen. Together is better.”
Baskets of toys and gift cards will be distributed to people between Dec. 16 and 22, Morand said.
“Someone will be surprised the week before Christmas,” she said. “There are some real stories of families living paycheque to paycheque, living with stuff they didn’t know they would have to deal with. We want to do something that is impactful.”
There are four drop-off points for toys and other goodies around the city.
The Dec. 14 MoMonday will be a fundraiser for the family sponsorship and toy drive, Morand said.
ONLINE
Go to caretomakeadifference.ca to find the gofundme page, to nominate a family and for more information about MoMondays.
Drop off gifts
- Provincial Glass and Mirror, 40 York St.
- Back n Motion, 3010 Col. Talbot Rd.
- Jones Auto Body, 620 Third St.; 1959 Mallard Dr., Hyde Park
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Adva Ohayon and Jon Trojman of Perfect Image Tattoo are collecting toys for hospitalized children. (DEREK RUTTAN, The London Free Press)
Bring a gift, get a discount on a tattoo, or piercing
They’re Jews from Montreal who are taking toy donations for kids in London for Christmas.
It’s a bit of a contradiction, admits Jon Trojman, but so is the fact that he’s worked in the tattoo industry for the past 15 years and only recently got ink himself.
“We don’t celebrate Christmas because we’re Jewish, but every year I try to do something around Christmas because I’m bored, the stores aren’t open that day, so I might as well help people,” said Trojman, the manager of Perfect Image tattoo parlour on Richmond Street.
Trojman and his fiancée, office manager Adva Ohayon, are organizing the tattoo shop’s first toy drive.
The artists — those who do the tattoos and piercings — have joined in, offering discounts for those who bring a toy donation.
“We’ve been really impressed with how many people have responded. We put it on social media and put up some flyers, and it spread,” Ohayon said.
Those who donate a toy get $30 off a piercing, and those who bring a $50 gift get $100 off a tattoo.
“Why wouldn’t we do something like this for London, for the community, for the future? These kids are the future,” Trojman said.
The gifts will be donated to Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre.
“Christmas is for the kids, so this is just a nice thing to do for them, something to bring a smile to their face. It’s not big, but it’s just something to make them smile,” he said.
The toy drive wraps up Dec. 13 because the toys have to be given to the hospital for vetting by Dec. 14.
ONLINE
Check out facebook.com/perfectimagelondon for a list of toys for which the hospital has asked.
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SPIRIT OF GIVING
It could be a neighbour making mittens for the homeless, or a business forgoing a Christmas party to help a family in need. We want to tell their stories in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Email suggestions to [email protected]
Source: London Free Press | Christmas season inspires giving in London
