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Friends of a hard-working Orillia volunteer who died in June have found a fitting way to honour him and help the community at the same time.
Shelley Smith is one of the founders of Building Blocks Corporation, a new, registered non-profit organization that aims to connect those who want to volunteer with those who need volunteers.
Chris Bellchambers was known for his volunteer work at countless events up until his death at the age of 42.
“We were all close with Chris Bellchambers,” Smith said of the organization’s founders. “We just decided there needs to be something out there to carry on what Chris was all about — volunteering just for the love of volunteering.”
The group’s name, Building Blocks, was inspired by Bellchambers’s love for Lego.
While he volunteered year round, Christmas was an especially exciting time for him.
“Chris was always involved in the Santa Claus parade. He loved to decorate his house. He just loved Christmas,” Smith said. “Chris was like a big kid.”
When trying to decide what the first initiative of Building Blocks would be, the founders asked themselves, “What would Chris do?”
“Chris would go to the dollar store and buy up a bunch of stuff and donate it,” Smith said.
In that spirit, the first annual Building Blocks Christopher Bellchambers Memorial Toy Drive was created.
It began Friday and will run until Dec. 18. During that time, people are encouraged to drop off new, unwrapped toys at Ironside E Motors at 10 Western Ave., Unit 11.
Items donated between now and Dec. 15 will be given to Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions to be distributed as part of that organization’s holiday baskets. Donations received after the 15th will go to the Salvation Army for a similar purpose.
The work of Building Blocks won’t stop there. The goal is to carry on Bellchambers’s legacy through volunteerism. It doesn’t have to mean volunteering at a major event. It could be as simple as picking up groceries for someone or shovelling a driveway.
“It’s about the little things our community needs,” Smith said. “Fill out the volunteer application. You never know when somebody will need a hand.”
To learn more about Building Blocks and how to get involved, visit its website and Facebook page.
