Staff
There’s still a little more time to help bring joy to a child this Christmas through the Kenora & Rainy River Districts Child and Family Services’ “Adopt-an-Angel” program.
“The program has been going great,” Debra Bruyere, a community integration worker with the agency, enthused yesterday afternoon.
Since late November, “angel trees” have been set up at The Bargain Shop and Walmart here, as well as Tompkins Hardware in Emo.
But Bruyere noted all the angels on the Walmart tree have been adopted so it has been taken down.
The trees at The Bargain Store and Tompkins will remain up until next week, she added, noting Tompkins probably come down Monday while The Bargain store will be available a bit longer into the week.
If you happen to miss your chance to “Adopt-an-Angel,” don’t worry, said Bruyere.
“We will take donations of cash or toys also at our office if people miss adopting an angel,” she remarked, thanking the community “for such a great response again.”
For more information, call Bruyere at 274-7787 ext. 5029.
For an 11th year, district residents have been asked to purchase gifts for local children who may not receive many presents this holiday season.
The goal is to provide a present under the Christmas tree for every foster child or child in need being served by Child and Family Services from Atikokan to Rainy River.
The program works as follows:
•pick an angel from the tree (each one has a pretend name of a child on it, as well as their age and gender);
•each child will have identified what they would like for Christmas on their “angel” (this item can be purchased at the participating location); and
•when you have picked out your angel’s items, bring them to the cash register and identify that you’ll be purchasing a gift for the angel you’ve selected.
The cashier will complete your purchase, place the angel and gift into a shopping bag, and then put the bag in a safe area to be picked up later by a Child and Family Services worker.
The gifts will be delivered to the children in time for Christmas.
If all the “angels” aren’t adopted, the agency can use donated money to ensure those remaining children still end up getting a gift.
