December 21, 2020
**NNDSB Note: The following story was written by District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board**
The spirit of giving and helping those less fortunate is alive and well in the Nipissing District. Groups of local citizens have taken the time to let the less fortunate know that they are thinking of them through gestures of kindness.
“It’s very heartwarming to see the community support people who find themselves without the comfort of family and a home of their own – it shows that the community cares,” says Mark King, Chair of the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board. “These are just some examples to illustrate that compassion.”
Teacher Stewart Bowness at Laurentian Learning Center (Near North District School Board) had been working with his students to bake homemade Christmas goodies, delivered last week to the low barrier shelter at 590 Chippewa street in North Bay.
“It was a real pleasure and honour to accompany Jessica Mason and Brandon Lunel from Stewart Bowness’s class from our Laurentian Learning Centre as they exhibited their skills and showed their kindness by providing baked Christmas goodies to our neighbouring friends at the Low Barrier shelter across from Chippewa Secondary School,” says Jay Aspin, Board Chair of NNDSB.
Members of the West Nipissing Knitting Circle/Cercle de tricot and Sewing For a Cause/Coudre pour une cause, programs of the West Nipissing Community Health Centre in Sturgeon Falls, spent time knitting and sewing warm items such as hats, scarves, blankets and pyjamas for those staying in shelters at the Crisis Centre North Bay and the Warming Centre, offering a touch of hand crafted comfort. Many others in the community have made similar donations, including congregants of St. Andrew’s United Church who donated socks and warm winter wear as part of a church collection drive and One Kids Place who, in partnership with Your City Sports, was able to donate socks as part of their annual #sockraiser campaign.
King adds, “I’d also like to take this time to thank all of the people in the community and in the field of human services who have worked especially hard this year to ensure people’s needs are met. The community as a whole has really come together and it shows.”
