The holidays will seem a little brighter for those down on their luck upon receiving one of 30 care bags donated to the South Cariboo Canadian Mental Health Association.
The bags were donated by an organization called the Ladies of the Cariboo Lakes. This volunteer group of women banded together three years ago with a goal to help out those less fortunate in the community.
The organization chose to remain anonymous so the focus remains on the need within the community and the work being done by professional organizations like CMHA, they said.
“The bags contain up to 30 items ranging from toiletries to gloves to band-aids to tarps,” they said in a group writeup on the bags. “Simple necessities to help get people through their day.”
CMHA community navigator Kristin Wells said she was connected with the group through the CMHA executive director.
“It’s a nice treat to have at Christmas because a lot of homeless people don’t have family or friends where they can go and spend the holidays with so they’re often just alone,” she said.
One of the bags would be nice for somebody as they can open it up and have a little Christmas present or hot chocolate. They can enjoy a little of the holidays when they are low and lonely, Wells said.
Especially in the Interior, she said people focus more on homelessness once the snow comes and temperatures drop. Unfortunately, once the snow goes the problem is still there which is why Wells thinks it would be good if homelessness remained a focus the other 11 months of the year.
Wells encourages people to donate to CMHA any time throughout the year as it goes a long way in allowing them to enrich their client’s lives.
And be kind.
“Just because they might look homeless or they might not present as somebody who has money or is on their feet doesn’t mean they’re not a person or a human being and they just like to be treated with respect the same as anybody else.”
Just being kind to them because you don’t know their story or what they’ve been through. It can be as simple as a smile, holding a door open for them - that can go a long way.
