Cambridge residents give back this holiday season

Some Cambridge residents are making the best of the holiday season by giving back to those around them. 

Cindy DaCosta and her four grandchildren have just wrapped up their fifth year handing out gift cards at local grocery stores and spreading a bit of holiday cheer while they do it. 

"It's something that every year, come December, they start saying, 'Mimi, when are we going to go out?' They absolutely love it," said DaCosta. 

"I think we need to put blessings back into the community and that's something I've taught them."

With a handful of gift cards and a big yellow sign, the kids and DaCosta got to helping families from all walks of life. This year the family handed out over 120 gift cards valued at $25 each and next year they want to give out closer to 150 cards. 

Every year, the family interacts with many different people, each with their own unique interactions. At the end of the day, the children choose where to go out and eat and share stories of their favourite interactions. 

"It could be, you know, the lady that started crying because it meant so much to her, it could be a funny person who said, I don't need it, but can you please pay it forward? It's a great thing they're doing," said DaCosta. 

"I had one mom tell me that it was that $25 was her making Christmas breakfast for her family. The stories that come back from it are so touching. It's something I will continue to do every year with them."

Another group has pooled its efforts to support Golden Years Nursing Home and affordable housing units for seniors on Eagle Street in Preston. 

Jessica Bedard is a member of the singles group 'FOCKin Single Kitchener Waterloo Cambridge Guelph' on Facebook and hundreds of its members joined forces to help the seniors of Cambridge.

After losing her sister and job within a few months of each other, Bedard wanted to give back this holiday season and help out any way she could. 

"A group admin asked me to head it up and we got a little team together.  We collected mainly within our group and we asked for either items or cash donations," she said. 

"We had donation bins on the porch and like, the support was amazing."

After a few weeks of collecting donations, Bedard and a few group members put over 100 gifts in bags and headed out to Golden Ages and to visit the seniors at the Westgate Apartments.

Staff at the nursing home collected the gifts to hand out, but the volunteers were able to hand-deliver each gift to the seniors in Galt. 

"We were able to knock on their door and hand out to them directly. We ended up getting the names of two residents who are in have terminal cancer, so we allotted an extra amount for them," she said. 

In all of the other gifts, the seniors got essentials like hygiene products, blankets, sweatpants, treats and gift cards. 

This experience has Bedard hooked on helping others, especially after a tough year full of loss. 

"Losing my sister this year, my friend passed and losing my job, it's brought me more joy than probably brought any of them and now I'm hooked," she said. "The amount you can do in your own backyard with just some friends and family and just spreading the word and asking, I couldn't believe it."

Now knowing what the group can do, Bedard wants next year to be even bigger and better and reach more seniors and those in need.