Christmas, as we all know, is a time for digging into your pockets, wallets and purses and finding change or notes to service the jingle of the Salvation Army kettles or Richmond Food Bank donation box.
Heck, at every checkout we slide through right now — supermarket, toy store, fast food outlet — we’re asked if we’d like to donate a loonie or toonie to a charity of the premises’ favouring.
And judging by our online poll on the checkout charity challenge, many of you have had quite enough of such ambush tactics for raising funds.
It all gets a bit much, we hear you; charity begins at home, etc. etc. and half the time we have no idea where that donation actually goes — most likely out of Richmond.
For those still in the mood, however, a quick look through today’s paper will present you with a few hyper local options to give the gift of Christmas to Richmondites in need.
Richmond Hospice Association provides its Tree of Remembrance, where visitors can, for a donation, write the name of the person they want to recall on a paper ornament card and add it to the collection that grows steadily through the holiday season.
On Christmas Day itself, if you don’t fancy cooking, the ever-generous staff at the White Spot in Richmond Centre are once again donating their time to serve you Christmas lunch, with all proceeds going to charity.
And on Boxing Day, if you can’t stomach the sales, why not give blood at Thompson Community Centre.
We hope you’ve got a little bit more spirit left in the bank to give.
