Officials from the Eilzabeth Fry Society Simcoe Muskoka are asking for the community’s help to make the holidays special at the youth rapid rehousing site on West Street South.
The organization is looking for community donations to help put together Christmas gift baskets for youth at the facility. They are requesting gift cards, reusable water bottles, notebooks and other stationery items, playing cards, hats, mitts, gloves, blankets, and more.
Originally opened in May, the rapid rehousing project is currently home for 14 youth between the ages of 16-24, with Elizabeth Fry staff working to transition the youth from homelessness to permanent housing.
“Christmas is a time for family, friends and joy, and the youth we serve are experiencing being unhoused, which no youth should have to experience,” said Kaitlin Odom, director of housing with Elizabeth Fry.
“Being able to provide some comfort and joy for the youth that we serve is really important, so that they know that they have a community that backs them up and an agency that cares for them.”
Donations are being accepted at the 175 West St. S. facility, as well as at similar facilities in Bracebridge and Barrie, in order to provide program participants with gift baskets at sites across Simcoe Muskoka.
“Once the donation period closes, we're going to sort everything that came through and make some baskets, and then we're going to cover any shortfalls that we might have with some of our own funding,” Odom said.
Odom also hopes the Orillia site can get a Christmas tree and ornaments for the holiday season, which will include a holiday meal and the gift baskets for youth participants.
“Because we just opened in May, we currently don't have a Christmas tree or ornaments to actually decorate,” she said. “We're hopeful that a community member or agency might be able to come forward and help us out with donating a Christmas tree, an artificial one preferred, and some ornaments. We're hopeful that we'll be able to decorate and make it feel like home for the holidays.”
With social service programs facing financial shortfalls “year after year,” Odom said “getting that support for our community members experiencing homelessness is extremely important.”
