Grant McKenzie is director of communications for Our Place.
It’s all about the smiles.
It sounds simple, but the people we serve at Our Place don’t come by their smiles as easily as those of us who have reliable shelter, food, warmth and love in our lives.
So when I see a smile or listen to a joke or simply lend an ear to one of our family members in need of a vent, I know it matters.
The stories are heartbreaking, the trauma of their lives all too real. So all any of us can do is offer a place of sanctuary and, if we’re lucky, the blossom of hope.
And that’s where the Times Colonist Christmas Fund comes in. Like all of our corporate partners, the Times Colonist saw the incredible work that Our Place was doing and added us to their list of charitable organizations that would benefit each Christmas. We have been on the list for four years now, and we couldn’t be more grateful.
This year, money raised through the Christmas Fund went directly to food. At Our Place, we serve around 1,100 meals and 1,200 snacks (coffee, tea, baked goods) every day. When someone first enters the doors of Our Place, the snack bar is usually the first stop. It’s the volunteers serving there who make that vital first impression. They are open, friendly and ready to serve.
From there, people quickly discover that our hygiene area offers hot showers (cleaned after every use by more volunteers as our way of showing dignity and respect), haircuts, clothing and so much more. With the necessities taken care of, our outreach workers can then assist with the larger difficulties: shelter, housing, medical needs, accessing welfare and much more.
There is care that goes into everything we do. We want people to know that the services we offer are down to the generosity of donors, volunteers and corporate supporters. We don’t judge the people who need our services — we simply want to help them get through their day and hopefully find new footing.
We live in an era where society at large seems to value profit over people, and thus it’s up to us, those not-for-profits, individuals and corporate supporters who have placed the burden of community responsibility on their own shoulders, to provide for the weak, the poor, the abused and the suffering.
Which is why we need your help year-round.
As I write this, there are tear stains on the shoulder of my jacket from a woman who wanted me to know how grateful she was for Our Place. She has just finished a hot lunch, is seeking a shelter bed for the night and is afraid for the future. Her wrist is bandaged from a violent incident, she sways slightly from a head injury in her past and she faces new difficulties every day. And yet she is thankful.
That is the power of what donating to a good cause can do.
After the woman finishes telling me her story, she wipes her eyes and offers me a kindly smile. She feels safe enough to do so because Our Place is her sanctuary.
That smile means everything.
Please donate to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund. The fund assists individuals and families in need during the Christmas season. Here are ways to donate:
• Go to timescolonist.com/donate. That takes you to the Canada Helps website, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
• Mail a cheque, payable to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund Society, to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 2621 Douglas St., Victoria, B.C. V8T 4M2.
• Use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Outside those hours, leave a message, we’ll call back.
