Spare The Cold - 2007
Hey All,
For those of you that remember, last Christmas an initiative called Spare The Cold blossumed.
Spare The Cold has now become an annual initiative that aims to bring Christmas to
those less privileged in our local communities, such as people facing homelessness, working in the sex trade and struggling with addictions.
Christmas is a time where families and friends come together and
celebrate, but sadly not all of us are that fortunate. Spare The Cold
wants to make Christmas as inclusive as possible by providing
backpacks full of necessities to marginalized people within our
respective communities.
In 2006, Spare The Cold successfully distributed 102 backpacks to
individuals in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Spare The Cold is 100%
dependent on community support, it was all made entirely possible by
generosity of a caring public. A big thanks to the people of
Vancouver for having made this a reality!
This year the project is making it's debut in both Victoria and
Toronto due to a sparked interest in people who were inspired to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate in their respective cities. This year we will be serving 4 times as many people as in 2006, therefore needing that much more community support!
A little bit of History:
The inspiration for Spare The Cold's founder Gab Laurence, came from her
experience with the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society (DEYAS)
for the Needle Exchange Program. "Gab's" vision was to create an active
community program that serviced the needy during the holiday season. Her
focus was clear: make people feel valued and remembered as well as
keep people warm through Canada's cold winter.
With the momentum of last years success, Gab decided to expand the
programs reach into Victoria, as well as partnering with corporate
friends Cieo Creative to spearhead the initiative in Toronto. This
years, her goal is to prepare 150 backpack for Vancouver, 100 for Victoria & 150 for Toronto.
Hope we get your vote this year and good luck to all other GREAT causes!
