Tara Jeffrey When Dana Cole visits some 16 families on her caseload in Sarnia-Lambton this time of year, she rarely sees brightly decorated trees or stockings stuffed with treats.
Tara Jeffrey
When Dana Cole visits some 16 families on her caseload in Sarnia-Lambton this time of year, she rarely sees brightly decorated trees or stockings stuffed with treats.
“A lot of my families can’t afford food right now,” said the child protection worker with the local Children’s Aid Society. “Some of them are facing eviction … they’re asking, ‘Do I pay my hydro bill or buy gifts for the kids?’”
In the spirit of the holidays, Cole wanted to help alleviate some of their stresses so she asked friends and family to donate a few items – toys, diapers, books, etc.
She also put out a call for donations on a blog she writes, nicknaming her endeavour, “Project Holiday Hope.”
“I thought, why not put it out there and see what I can do? Even if it’s $100, then at least it’s something.”
Word of mouth quickly spread and co-workers began dropping donations off in Cole’s office.
“I talked to my hairdresser about it, and she connected me with someone at the Lambton Mall who gave me $500 in gift cards — I just about fell over,” said Cole.
“It just kind of exploded, and now my dining room is filled with donations.
“It’s really cool.”
She plans on giving the gifts to the parents on her caseload, and provide them with wrapping supplies.
“I think it would be really helpful and empowering for the parents to wrap the gifts themselves,” Cole said. “One mom said it was a big relief for her because the holidays have been so depressing.”
Cole expects she’ll be able to extend the donations beyond the 16 families on her caseload, and is encouraging others in her field to do the same.
“I’m just trying to plant that seed. If everybody did this at Christmas — we all have friends and family that can give extra things — so why not make it a tradition?”
Anyone looking to help out with Project Holiday Hope can contact Dana at [email protected].
