The success and good feelings of our Toy Room this past December had the Women’s Centre ending 2017 on a high note and propelled us into 2018 with new energy and enthusiasm for providing support, connections, and community for women in Calgary. This was all due to the amazing support of friends, family and co-workers who came together to make the holidays bright for the thousands of women and children who accessed the Toy Room program. They volunteered their time to be personal shoppers and wrappers, to deliver toys, to organize toy drives, and to sort through toy donations. Because of their support, we were able to provide over 3,500 gifts! Check out the infographic below for more numbers.
There were many stories that touched our hearts over the holiday season, but one in particular summed up the beauty of the Women’s Centre. During the Toy Room program, two women came in with gift donations. They explained that they had received help from the Women’s Centre Toy Room a few years ago and wanted to give back. The women had chosen the same toys and gifts that they had previously received for their children and themselves. One woman started to tear up and explained that shopping for the gifts had reminded her of the difficult time when she needed assistance, but she was so grateful to be in a position to be able to help out another family this Christmas. Both women were so thankful to the Women’s Centre for being there for them when they needed it and for giving them an opportunity to give back this year.
We want to thank all of our donors and volunteers for their invaluable support this past holiday season and making stories like this possible. We look forward to doing the same again this year!
