If you know me, I LOVE Christmas! I always leave a few holiday items out in my home all year long, so when I need a little Christmas pick me up, they’re there. My assignment this issue was to find someone who just can’t do enough for others over the holidays. There are so many people who do wonderful things
I had to feature more than one. And as you’ll read, giving of yourself can be heartwarming and healing.
CAROLYN KARLE
While forming the DEK Foundation in memory of her daughter Dayna, Carolyn Karle helped create another program to spread the Christmas spirit. In a meeting, former board member Brenda Letourneau, a mentor in the recovery community, talked about recovery at Christmas. “She said It was hard and terribly depressing. You’re not with your family, you’re reassessing what you’ve done with your life. Then someone gave her a teddy bear, and it made her Christmas a bit more joyful. She said she bawled her eyes out. That inspired me to reach out to 3C’s, Crossroads, Dilico Post, The Lodge on Dawson, The Elizabeth Fry Society and Balmoral Detox” said Karle.
The response to the idea was overwhelming. “These organizations were saying things like, ‘I have five chapsticks or five makeup bags and more’. There’s a lot of gals on the streets that are survival sex workers. One board member has been supporting these young ladies for years, even before DEK was formed. Everyone gets a little something and they love it. It makes us really happy to be able to do this”, says Karle.
Many of the recipients send thank you letters of appreciation for the token of kindness and the best part of the project is knowing the positive impact it brings. “They have been down some pretty dark roads and their journey back has brought them so much gratitude. It really brings me great joy to help the folks that are climbing back out of addiction. Being involved really heals my heart”, says Karle.
This will be the third year that they’ll be delivering these gifts.
LISA IERULLO
Lisa Ierullo loves to help people in need. An interaction with a stranger online led this social media savvy mother of three to start a holiday food giveaway for families here in Thunder Bay. While reading tarot cards on social media, Lisa received a message from a stranger asking for help, but he was in BC. He said he didn’t know when he ate last. Lisa called a food bank and a church there but it was the weekend and nobody answered.
On Facebook, she found a group called Big Hearts Mission, British Columbia and posted, asking for help. “The administrator from that group contacted me, and I told her the situation. They did a wellness check.
I ordered a pizza for him because that’s the only thing that I thought that I could do from here. Then the relationship kind of like blossomed from there. I helped him kind of learn how to be more independent and to live his best life.”
Lisa says she’s experienced some hard times herself, and this encounter is where her first holiday dinner giveaway idea came from. Her Facebook group ‘Everything Free Thunder Bay’ includes free meals for Thanksgiving, now Christmas meals and has even expanded to a toy drive for kids. “I’m always heartwarmed by this group, it makes me cry because of the generosity sometimes”, says Ierullo.
Ierullo and the Facebook page administrator Brooklyn Chlebovec are always looking for more help and donations. Check the group page for ongoing draws.
PHYLLIS NISBET
Christmas Cheer is so special to Phyllis Nisbet, she told her husband, “I can’t work, I can’t miss Christmas cheer!”
That was 47 years ago, and she has no plans to stop. “One of the volunteers, said one of the longest standing volunteers was 102. I wonder if I can beat her record?
I keep telling my grandkids, I’m hanging around till I’m a hundred, you know?”
Phyliss’ husband, Darcy, their two kids and six grandchildren have been involved as well. “They’ve all been roped in to help. We had a hockey team bow out at the last minute a few years ago, so I got on the phone and my granddaughter recruited some of her friends and my husband and my grandsons came down. With their help, the crisis was averted”, said Nisbet.
When volunteering, Phyllis says she’s like a chicken all over the place, ordering the food needed for the hampers and the snacks for the volunteers to keep them going, then she helps out on the floor with the distribution. “Most of the volunteers are a happy group, even our board is awesome. We’ve all made a lot of friends”, says Phyllis.
When I asked her what draws her back to volunteer with Christmas Cheer each year, she says “I don’t know how to explain it. It makes the Christmas season extra special, it’s very heartwarming.”
ED COLLINS
We’re off to visit a green creature with a heart “three sizes too small”, who lives alone in a snowbound cave atop Mt. Crumpit, above the village of Whoville. Just kidding...we’re heading to Ed Collins house on Anemki Drive!
Ed was raised with his sisters Anita, Pam and Amanda on Fort William First Nation. Ed married his high school sweetheart, Nancy. They have 2 kids, Ed Jr. and Erin and are now proud grandparents to Auden Rose.
He says the inspiration for his spirited adventure began during Covid. “The Grinch symbolized life’s troubles, where there was so much anger, mistrust and no Christmas spirit. I wanted to bring smiles to people’s faces, so I started setting up a display in my front yard. That’s when the Grinch’s heart grew three times larger”, laughs Ed.
One of the memorable moments in his yard happened when an elderly woman came by for a picture. “She was in her late 80’s and was accompanied by two other people. She took off her parka and posed wearing a Mrs. Claus nighty! She put her arms around me, took some pictures and just walked away! The Grinch turned three shades of red that day!”, said Ed.
Collins really loves doing the display for the children. He loves seeing the smiles and even receives small gifts like onions and drawings from them. “It makes it all worthwhile” says Ed, adding that he likes to keep every gift…except the onions.
