NEWS RELEASE
COUCHICHING JUBILEE HOUSE
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On Monday, Dec. 3, families in the Couchiching Jubilee House transitional housing program, as well as families who have moved on from the program, got up close and personal with Santa himself at their annual Christmas party.
Festivities included a live band, a delicious Christmas meal prepared by volunteers, professional family photos, carolling and, of course, jolly St. Nick.
"The agency has been hosting the party with the support of dedicated donors and volunteers for years," says Courtney Willis, development co-ordinator. "With that said, our goal is to provide this level of support for our women and children all year long and not just during the holidays."
Thanks to the generosity of local agencies, businesses, churches, service clubs and private donors, 55 families registered to attend the party hosted at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Participants received gift packages including housing essentials, hygiene products, clothing and special "luxury" treats. Annual contributors like Giant Tiger gifted each family a hand-held blender, which garnered lots of excitement among the women. And, of course, there were lots of toys for the children.
"This year, we asked some of our donors to help us provide little luxuries that our women would not otherwise have access to, in addition to just essentials. Things like slippers, perfume, purses and makeup go a long way to make a women feel special again," says Willis. "The community didn't let us down."
Families who registered for the party but were unable to attend are invited to come by the office to pick up their gifts and receive support to get them through the holidays, which, for some, is a devastating time of year.
Couchiching Jubilee House recognizes the tremendous contributions of our private donors, volunteers and community supporters involved in creating this special event: St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Mike Gollinger (photographer), Scott Wilson, Giant Tiger, Jason's No Frills, St. Paul's Church (Beaverton), Equity Masonic Lodge, Agilec, Eady United Church, Linda Pearce, The Fabulous Band, the many individual volunteers, our board of directors, who bring this event to life every year, and, of course, our "special guest."
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