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Victoria emergency women’s shelter faces shortage of holiday donations

Sandy Merriman House, Cool Aid Society ask public to help out
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Victoria Cool Aid Society and Sandy Merriman House are asking the public to purchase gift cards for those in need this holiday season. COVID-19 has left the organization with a shortage in seasonal donatons. (Nina Grossman/News Staff)

Everyone deserves joy over the holidays, but a Victoria non-profit is concerned that some might be left without a gift.

Cool Aid Society and the Sandy Merriman House, a local women’s emergency shelter, are asking for the public’s help making sure everyone in the community receives a present – building off the success of last year’s holiday gift card program.

“With COVID, it’s a little bit harder now to just drop off donations, of course,” said Krystal Addison, resident at Sandy Merriman. “But there’s still people here who would just love to have a little pick-me-up at Christmas.”

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The simple, online shopping cart tool allows donors to buy gift cards that will be given directly to people staying at Cool Aid shelters on Christmas Day. The organization needs more than 200 gift card purchases by Dec. 14 to ensure every shelter guest has a gift card on Christmas Day.

To simplify the process during COVID-19, donors no longer need to personally pick up and deliver gifts. The holiday gift page provides a variety of gift cards for donors to choose from, so they can choose exactly what they want for Christmas.

“So if you’re home, you’re by yourself, just know that [because of] your donations, on Christmas morning, there’s going to be a woman or a man somewhere who’s so happy because of you,” Addison said. “And that is the best feeling ever. It really, really is.”

Those who want to help spread Christmas cheer this season can visit coolaid.org/holidaygifts to provide a gift.

READ ALSO: Domestic violence shelters adapt as COVID-19 forces families home


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