Tina Rowntree’s Toy Drive Brunch

 
Help support our community this holiday season!

                            

Tina Rowntree and the Christmas Brunch Committee are dedicated supporters of Family Services of the North Shore and 2021 will mark the 25th year that they will come together in support of the Christmas Bureau!  Over those years, Tina and the Committee have gathered for beautiful brunches and donated hundreds of toys for all ages. Even though in 2020 we were unable to come together, the group raised over $28,000 to ensure no child woke up on Christmas morning without something special. Together we were able to support over 2,500 of our North Shore neighbours in need, an increase of 20% from the year prior.  Your support has a deep and lasting impact in our community and we thank you! To see the full impact, please see our 2020 Impact Report

“Thank you for making this Christmas possible for us. I lost my husband when one of my girls was 3 and the other was a newborn, and we have been struggling ever since then. Your gifts made my kids scream with joy and excitement, and they can’t wait to open them on Christmas Day.” 

This year the need on the North Shore is as great as ever and we don’t want anyone to feel isolated or alone. Funds raised will directly support seniors, families, individuals, children, and youth in need by providing holiday gift baskets to families, toys and presents for children, and gift cards to youth giving them the gift of hope, choice, and belonging!  If you are able to support our North Shore neighbours this holiday season, please donate here. 

Thank you for helping us fill the stockings, gift baskets, and hearts of children, families, and individuals and ensuring they know they are thought about, cared for, and connected to their community.

With thanks to the dedicated committee: Tina Rowntree, Lorena Angus, Susan Cressey, Dierdre Ert, Debra Jappy, Barb Lunter, Beth Rowntree, Debbie Smith, Linda Wolverton.

Sadly, our committee has lost our bright and shining star. Debra Jappy fought a valiant battle with ALS and finally succumbed to it Monday, December 13. Debra has been a supporter of Family Services of the North Shore for many years. She was always ready to give to families in need, both through Family Services and to whoever she encountered who needed a helping hand. She touched many with her generosity and kindness. 

Debra wrote a beautiful letter to her boys and her friends before she died. Here is the last paragraph of her letter. 

“And so my darling friends, I wish you a happy, healthy life full of adventures, longevity and joy. Live each day fully and be kind to each other. A simple act of kindness resonates and impacts many. Remember life will give you lemons so that you may make lemonade, you may encounter clouds but they shall have silver linings and may it occasionally rain on your parade so that you may see the rainbows that emerge. Enjoy your lives my darling friends, my beloved sons and all those that I care about. Thank you for your love, it has meant everything to me.”

We will all miss our beautiful Debra.

Tina Rowntree 

If you have any questions, please contact Lucy Isham-Turner at 604-831-1223

Email Lucy