For many years, the Emmanuel Anglican Church has been spreading Christmas cheer to GGP clients with their generous seasonal food hampers. Each year, these hampers provide much-needed food security to refugee families over the holidays.
During the pandemic, Emmanuel Anglican’s commitment to providing food has not wavered. Rather than physical hampers, they donated grocery store gift cards for our refugee clients. Even better—they purchased the gift cards through GGP’s Fundscrip program so GGP will get an added donation from every gift card!
These cards went to the clients who require the greatest support. This year, among those clients was a Columbian family recently reunited with their eldest son, a single mother from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who is expecting her 7th child, and a mother from Syria who is raising children who live with visual impairments. These gift cards also went to refugees who came to Canada alone, many of whom receive the least financial assistance during their settlement.
Clients especially appreciate the gift cards as they provide more choice, allowing families and individuals to select their own food. They also get to experience shopping at local grocery stores and preparing foods at home, which are crucial skills for life in Canada.
As the year comes to a close, we are called to take stock of all that we are grateful for here at Global Gathering Place. The generosity of our friends at Emmanuel Anglican Church is one such blessing that we cherish. We send gratitude and goodwill to all those who kept our community’s newcomers in mind this holiday season!
