This holiday was like no other for our clients. For some, this would have been the first holiday in a long time with a roof over their head, a home cooked meal, and a gift under the tree.
Navigating the first weeks of recovery is challenging at the best of times, not to mention experiencing them over the holidays, in a treatment house full of strangers who may not yet have become friends.
With the generosity of our volunteers, corporate donors, and supporters, we were able to provide a magical holiday experience for all of the residents staying with us throughout the month of December.
Two of our long-time volunteers, Raj and Gillian, have been actively involved with Renascent for eight years. We want to shine a spotlight on their generosity and commitment to Renascent’s clients, particularly during the holiday season. Raj and Gillian made sure that clients at our Munro and Punanai Centres had something extra special to open on Christmas morning.
Every year around the holidays, this dynamic duo get together and create gift bags filled with essentials items including toiletries, journals, and anything that brings warmth. They collect these items by reaching out to their personal networks and asking for donations. This tradition started off with Raj and Gillian asking their friends to help 10 years ago, and a decade later it has turned into something that is second nature for them. With 2020 being a challenging year, Raj and Gillian did not think twice about getting things ready for the holiday season:
“Our part in Renascent philanthropy is second nature, no question about it. Even with the pandemic, we needed to do it. We’re glad we were able to support so many clients this year.”
It’s through thoughtful, willing, and kind donors like Raj and Gillian that we have been able to provide clients with a magical holiday experience that is so different from any other.
