The long-time owners of a downtown Orillia clothing store, with the help of their customers, teamed up to provide vulnerable women in Orillia with a Mother’s Day surprise.
CC Fashions store owner Diane Cipolla and her husband, Ralph, created more than 50 bags of clothing that included two shirts, a pair of bottoms, socks and other goodies and then delivered them to various services in Orillia who help women in need - including Uplifting Blessings, Green Haven Shelter for Women and North Simcoe Victim Services.
CC Fashions customers helped fund the initiative by generously making a $25 donation for each bag.
“We were getting calls at ten o’clock at night from people saying they want to do it, and asking how to get involved,” Diane Cipolla said.
“We had women who had gone to victim crisis units in the past call us because now they are doing well and wanted to give back. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it," she said.
The bags also included a dessert for two from Sweet Time Bake Shoppe and personalized gift tags from Impression House.
“It’s really nice when we can all work together as a downtown to accomplish a common goal,” Cipolla said.
“It made my personal Mother’s Day the most special one I’ve ever had.”
Cipolla says the response from those who received the bags was overwhelming.
“We were given a few messages that brought us to tears,” she said.
The long-time downtown store owner said she is happy to be able to contribute and make a difference for those who need support.
“We wanted to do something for the community during this hard time, and I think there is going to be a little more need in the next little while,” she said.
“There is a need out there now and there are these amazing organizations out there like Uplifting Blessings, Green Haven and Victim Services, they have people coming in all day and night with nothing.”
Uplifting Blessings founder and operations manager Carolyn-Marie Goodwin says the gift bags were a heartwarming Mother’s Day surprise for local women in need.
“It was very touching to see our community once again coming together to help the vulnerable in need,” Goodwin said.
The donation also couldn’t have come at a more critical time, Goodwin says.
“Clothing is a huge necessity right now for those who are going through difficult times, especially if they are fleeing their homes for whatever reason, and don’t have the ability to take things with them,” she said.
“It’s been so beneficial that we have reached out to CC Fashions to ask if they will do the drive again for other clothing items that we are looking for.”
Cipolla says CC Fashions would be happy to continue supporting anybody in the community who is in need.
