I don't know why I am always amazed at the extreme generosity and
thoughtfulness of our members/employee's and their families when the call to help goes out.  You are truly wonderful people. At this time about 90% of the comfort pack boxes are in your hands and I am sure they will be returned to the coordinators next week brimming with the basic items that we all so often take for granted. 
   
Someone asked me how this project got started.  If I may, I would like
to share that with you.  As I travel in my job, I noticed that in every city I went to, there were more and more 'street people' visible every day.  Once, when leaving a work location in Moncton, I was approached by a young man asking for enough change so he could get coffee.  It was a cold and windy January and the temperatures were in the minus double digits.  This young man was dressed in a light nylon windbreaker and sandals, his hands and face beet red from the cold.  I asked if a local shelter couldn't help him and he said he was not from the area and hadn't found it yet.  I asked if he could wait a minute and returned inside the building.  I found a phone book and called the local shelter who indicated that they would be glad to help.
 
I returned to the parking lot and asked the young man if I could
take him there.  He readily agreed. OK, so I may have been a bit fool hearty but my conscience would not let me leave someone dressed as he was to freeze. It was only a short drive, with a small stop at the Tim Horton's drive thru, and I soon dropped him at the shelter.  As he got out of the car he turned and thanked me.  He said he had been trying to find out the location of the shelter all day but no one would talk to him.
 
   When I got home I found myself noticing the homeless of our city and
thinking how for the most part we tend to treat them as faceless.  It occurred to me (light bulb moment) that each of these people has a life and we do not know what can drive a person to the streets or even to a shelter.  We all know we cannot support the many homeless on our streets every day.  It is an impossibility but I felt that there had to be something that could be done and I certainly couldn't be the
only one that wanted to help. The Chebucto Life Members Club had a project called comfort kits, small kits with travel size items that could fit into a baggie.  Well, the idea grew from there.  If we could provide not only personal hygiene items but a few basics of winter such as hats, scarves etc. it could only help! So, last year we launched Comfort Packs For the Homeless with a goal of 100 packs.  The outpouring of generosity was mind-boggling!  We filled 150 boxes and had several boxes of further miscellaneous items to give to the shelters as well.  There were blankets, fleece jackets, and even underwear added to the suggested shopping list.  Baby items galore!, and so much more.  I found myself in awe of my fellow Pioneers.
 
And here we are, a year later, our hearts again swelling with pride
as these boxes are scooped up to be filled and provide a little comfort during this Christmas season.