London Drugs has announced the return of its popular Stocking Stuffers for Seniors holiday donation drive. The simple gesture of giving a gift could mean the world to thousands of seniors who are seeing increased isolation this holiday season due to COVID-19 protective protocols.
Stocking Stuffers for Seniors at London Drugs
Supporters can visit their local London Drugs between now and December 16, 2020 to choose a tag from the tree that contains the wish list, or everyday essentials, of a local senior. The gifts are then safely delivered to the seniors before Christmas.
To ensure the utmost safety for seniors, staff and volunteers of the program this year, each London Drugs location is working with their program partners and elder care experts to ensure the program meets their specific safety requirements for the safe collection and transfer of gifts that will be delivered to the seniors by approved personnel and volunteers.
Each London Drugs will have information posted next to the Stocking Stuffers for Seniors tree with information on how the participating care homes will be managing the gifts to keep their seniors safe. In many instances, donated gifts will be isolated for 72 hours prior to internal distribution to the seniors.
When seniors are lonely or isolated, it can significantly compromise their mental or physical health. When they receive a gift at Christmas, it reminds them that someone out there cares about them.
“This year, it’s more important than ever to show seniors that they are not alone,” said Jimmy Morrison, Community Relations Supervisor, Operation Friendship Seniors Society. “Just the act of receiving a gift helps to significantly improve the spirits of a senior and can have lasting mental and physical health benefits.”
How It Works
To support Stocking Stuffers for Seniors, visit any London Drugs between now and December 16th and take a tag with a senior’s wish list from the tree. From there, simply fulfill the items on the list and bring the new and unwrapped items to customer service at that store to check out.
Popular Gifts for Seniors
Books or magazines
Blankets and throws
Kitchen essentials
Candy or chocolate
Board games or puzzles
Slippers or warm socks
Toilet paper, paper towels, or tissues
Warm clothing like gloves and scarves
Travel mugs
Gift cards for groceries and toiletries
Stocking Stuffers for Seniors participants and campaign supporters are being asked to use the #StockingStuffersForSeniors hashtag on social media to encourage others to get involved so more elderly Canadians can be supported at the holidays, as well as year-round.
The Stocking Stuffers for Seniors donation drive concept originated in British Columbia’s Okanagan, and expanded to Edmonton in 2015 with a goal to help 40 low-income seniors by providing them with simple gifts such as food, hygiene products or warmth items. The campaign has grown quickly to now include all 81 London Drugs locations in 35 cities across Western Canada. Since the campaign started, approximately 44,000 packages have been delivered to seniors.
In honour and celebration of Co.ERASGA‘s 20th anniversary season, the company presents Offering, created by acclaimed choreographer and Artistic Director Alvin Erasga Tolentino.
Joshua Ongcol, Olivia Shaffer, Marissa Wong, Marc Arboleda, Molly McDermott, Antonio Somera. Photo by Yasuhiro Okada.
Co.ERASGA Presents Offering
Where: Anvil Centre(777 Columbia St, New Westminster) and online When: November 28-29, 2020 at 3:00pm Tickets: Live/in person $20-$25 or online by donation. Purchase online or call (604) 521-5050
This collection of solo works, performed by 6 of Vancouver’s finest and diverse dancers, aspires to honour the living practice of Dance and Dancing and the challenges of keeping this art-form alive during this extraordinary time of the pandemic crisis and isolation.
How do our bodies relate, move and dance at this critical time of pandemic adversity? In this new creation, Tolentino asks each dancer to explore movement as a form of devotion and prayer –allowing the dance to transcend luminous energy. Each work individually and together as full-evening presentation, Offering becomes a performance ritual, evoking a spiritual reach for a universal interconnect, awareness, and healing for the world.
Co.ERASGA’s 20th milestone season faces a challenging and unprecedented time of being in the middle of a pandemic, however our intention is to keep dance alive– over the past two decades, along with all of our artists, arts partners and audiences, we dance with gratitude, building and sharing together. More than ever, we rise to the gift and healing power of dance.
Win Tickets
I have two online tickets to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to @coerasga presents Offering #YVRDance http://ow.ly/ek9950Ckh2R” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw two winners, who will each get online access, at 12:00pm on Thursday, November 19, 2020. Update: The winner is Renate!
The annual CBC Vancouver Open House and Food Bank Day returns this year with a virtual twist on Friday, December 4th. In keeping with tradition, Open House in Your House will feature a full day of special programming on CBC Radio One in support of Food Banks BC. New for this year, CBC hosts will be available for virtual meet and greets with the public across the province.
CBC Vancouver Open House and Food Bank Day
While visiting the CBC Vancouver broadcast centre is a special holiday tradition in the community, in adherence to physical distancing protocols and to promote public safety, the CBC Vancouver building will not be open to the public for tours or live broadcasts this year.
In addition to raising funds for local food banks this year, CBC Vancouver will be encouraging acts of kindness in the community to spread goodwill and cheer during an especially challenging holiday season.
The schedule for CBC British Columbia’s Food Bank Day on December 4th includes:
The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn featuring special guests from 5:00am to 8:30am
An extended and combined edition of BC Today with Michelle Eliot &North by Northwest with Sheryl MacKay starting at noon
On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko featuring unique stories and guests from 3:00pm to 6:00pm
Digital Meet and Greets from 9:00am to 5:30pm from the comfort of home with:
Mike Killeen, Dan Burritt, Johanna Wagstaffe, Stephen Quinn, Gloria Macarenko, Michelle Eliot, Sheryl MacKay, Margaret Gallagher, Angela Sterritt, Chris Walker, Sarah Penton, Carolina de Ryk, Faith Fundal, Gregor Craigie, Kathryn Marlow, Shelley Joyce
For 33 years, British Columbians have been donating to food banks at CBC/Radio-Canada’s annual Open House and Food Bank Day, raising more than $10 million for food banks in B.C. since its inception in 1986.
While 2020 Christmas markets and craft fairs have been cancelled, the folks at Sweet Thea Bakery are coming to your holiday shopping rescue with the Sweet Thea Holiday Pop-Up. In addition to offering their own celebrated array of traditional European holiday baking (fruitcake, stollen, lebkuchen, plum pudding and many other delectable offerings), they’ve brought together a range of popular products from over a dozen favourite food-related vendors you’d normally find at seasonal markets.
Sweet Thea Holiday Pop-Up
Where: 4305 Main Street (27th & Main) in Vancouver When: Daily 11:00am to 6:00pm until Sunday, December 27, 2020. Open until 7:00pm on Fridays.
You might recognize Sweet Thea from Circle Craft, Make-It, Out of Hand, and many other markets and craft fairs. The bakery is also a favourite vendor at farmers markets throughout the Lower Mainland (including the Trout Lake, Kitsilano, and Riley Park markets in Vancouver).
There will be limited access to the shop and it will be on a first-come, first-served basis. It is recommended that you make a pre-order online and you can also send in a mail order. Pick-ups can be made at the Pop Up on Main, the bakery in Langley at 203 – 20540 Duncan Way, or at the Quay Market at Tsawwassen BC Ferries terminal (outbound passengers, in-terminal only).
Giveaway
I am very pleased to offer a Sweet Thea Holiday Joy Gift Box (value $104) to one lucky Miss604 reader/follower!
The Holiday Joy Gift Box includes: Chocolate Lebkuchen Cookies, Stollen with Marzipan, Sweet Thea Bakery Honey Hearts, Frostbite Syrups Raspberry Vanilla Cordial, Greendale Herb & Vine Lavender Infused Unpasteurized Honey, Le Meadows Pantry Cranberry Preserves, Maples Sugar Shack Amber Maple Syrup Gift Bottle, Take A Fancy Bean to Bar Dark Milk Chocolate Fleur de Sel Caramel, and The Nut Merchant Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almonds!
Share one of Sweet Thea’s Instagram posts to your story and tag @Miss604 (1 entry)
Click below to participate on Twitter (1 entry)
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a Holiday Joy Gift Box from the @SweetTheaMarket Pop-Up on Main (value $104) http://ow.ly/pKOn50CjfVI” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, November 19, 2020. The winner will be able to pick up their holiday box at the Main Street Pop-Up or the bakery in Langley.
We’re heading full steam ahead into the holiday season however with current COVID safety restrictions in BC, we’re also heading back into our own homes. The good news is that there’s a steady lineup of online programming right now to keep you entertained. Here are a few things to do in Vancouver this weekend — from home, and beyond:
