Community Shares invites residents and businesses invited to make wishes come true at the Forest of Wishes
Snowsuits, food, toys, warm pyjamas and art supplies - this wish list belongs to charities supported by West Island Community Shares. To help make these wishes come true, Community Shares launched the Forest of Wishes today at the Fairview Pointe Claire and is now enlisting the help of West Island residents and businesses to help make these wishes come true.
“On December 12th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. we’re inviting everyone to bring an unwrapped item from the wish list to the Forest,” said Caroline Tison, executive director. “Together we can make wishes come true for those in need in our own community.”
Items can be dropped off on December 12th at the Forest of Wishes on the ground floor of Fairview Pointe-Claire near Sears. Volunteers and representatives from community groups will be on-hand to receive the items.
The decision to hold a drive was prompted by the growing needs of the charities and the residents in need that they help. The West Island Assistance Fund, one of the charities supported by Community Shares, has reported a 29% increase in the number of families registered for its food bank. Other charities have reported similar rises in the need for the services they offer. All the items received from the public drive will go directly to West Island charities supported by Community Shares or the residents in need that turn to them for help.
The wish list for the residents helped by the charities and community groups includes: Snowsuits for children 0 to 10 yrs old (new or slightly used); toys; pyjamas for children; non-perishable food, baby food and diapers; household cleaning products and hygienic paper products.
Items needed by the charities themselves to better serve residents in need
include: Art and crafts supplies (paintbrushes, paint, easels, color
pencils, markers, canvasses, construction paper, glue sticks, play dough,
coloring books, white paper); new or used books; DVD player and DVDs (new or
used); pool cues for Maison de Jeunes; game equipment (volleyball net, hockey
net, tennis balls, lawn bowling sets, badminton set, chess set, board games,
deck of cards) and office supplies (paper, pens, stamps).
