PORT HAWKESBURY: After hosting a food drive earlier this month, local Emergency Health Services (EHS) personnel hosted a toy drive last week.
On Dec. 4, EHS held the Antigonish Food Drive at the Sobeys, then on Dec. 18, the Walmart in Port Hawkesbury hosted a Christmas Toy Drive, with proceeds going to Leeside Transition House in Port Hawkesbury.
“We like to do that because it’s a local organization and we get to basically collect all the toys, then head down there and deliver them,” said paramedic Trevor Fougere. “I know exactly where the toys are going and the donations are doing; they’re going to families in the area that need this stuff.”
EHS said operations staff, employees, and health care partners are doing their part again his year.
In Port Hawkesbury, volunteers and personnel from ambulance stations in Port Hawkesbury, St. Peter’s, and Arichat tried to cram as many toys as possible into an ambulance.
“We pack it up, as many as we can get in there,” said Fougere. “We just park out front of Walmart, we’ll have our little table there, our little cash box will be there.”
Before they host the toy drive, Fougere said local organizers touch base with Leeside to see what they need.
“This year it was basically everything from baby to 18 years old,” he said. “Even the moms too, sometimes they’d like to get something too. People do donate for the moms too, it’s nice to see.”
Since the beginning of December, paramedics, nurses and numerous other employees have been hosting a number of food and toy drives around Nova Scotia, EHS said, noting the annual tradition is an opportunity for employees to spread some holiday cheer in their local communities.
“I look forward to doing the toy drive, it really helps put me in the Christmas spirit,” Fougere told The Reporter. “You can even see with the rest of the volunteers that are there with us. Everyone is in a super-good mood, and it’s a really great atmosphere to be a part of.”
Residents are invited to donate what they can, and all donations will be provided to various charities, including the Salvation Army, Feed Nova Scotia and local food banks and shelters, EHS said.
“(Leeside) takes that money and then they’ll buy gift cards; they know what all the families need,” noted Fougere. “They should get a lot of credit too. We’re just more or less the liaison. We just collect the toys and deliver them down there. They distribute, they know who needs what, and where it’s gotta go, and who needs the most.”
EHS said its partners at 811 Telecare are holding a month-long food drive with a goal of collecting at least 811 items for Feed Nova Scotia.
“All the credit really goes to the generous people in the area that donate immensely every year,” Fougere added. “It’s shocking how quick that ambulance gets full, and then we also accept monetary donations too. That gets matched, dollar-for-dollar to a maximum amount… last year we raised $1,800, and that was matched. That went directly to the families at Leeside.”