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Last year, Laura Francis of Port Perry, did something she had never done before: she finished shopping for Christmas a full month before the date. “Tt was a true Christmas mir- acle,” proclaimed Laura. “And don’t think I didn’t let everyone around me know it, either!” So much was her joy in the task, in fact, that she decided to get busy with another list. Asa Trustee for the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation, she teamed up with their “Holiday Hope” program and spon- sored a family’s Christmas who might not otherwise afford it. “One of the para- doxes of living in a wealthy country is that we accumulate tremendous purchasing power,” said Laura,”and, yet it’s harder and harder for us to give friends and family presents that are meaningful. I knew that during the Christmas season, the Foun- dation partnered with individuals and community or- ganizations to provide holiday packages to children and families who would have little to no gifts and/or food for the holiday season, so I gave them a call.” And before she knew it, she had a new list, a re- newed sense of purpose and a plan. She enlisted family, friends, neighbours, members of her book club and their families to call for a list of their own. By the time the Christmas season had ended, she had directed more than two dozen people in Scugog towards the program. Her recruitment line was simple: “Basically, I asked them which would you prefer as a holiday gift - another Mariah Carey CD, or the knowl- edge that she’s giving a child in foster care a Christmas they'll never forget? It was kind of a no-brainer.” DCAF ‘Holiday Hope Program’, which has grown by nearly 300 per cent over the last 10 years, serves approximately 650 families and more than 1,900 children, youth and caregivers in the Durham area. The children and families referred to the program are cur- rently receiving service from Durham CAS. They are children who live at home with a parent, family member or guardian while working with the Society. “None of the children the Foundation serves chooses to live in poverty” says Laura. “They aren’t responsible for their family’s reduced circumstances. And yet they live their lives in ways that most of us would find dif- ficult and hard to take. I wanted to help a family who was possibly more Laura Francis DECEMBER FOCUS.56.indd 31 worried about putting food on the table, than putting gifts under the tree. Plus, she says with a shrug, it’s a les- son I try to instill in my kids all season long: We make a life by what we give.” For more information on the ‘Holiday Hope Pro- gram’, including how to sponsor a family, or make a monetary /gift card donation, contact Karen Pavlisko at 905-433-1551 ext. 2409 or karen.pavlisko@durhamcas.ca History of Port Pert illustrated with 100s of photographs 1900 to 2000 MITED EDITION UMRE-PRINT Available at BOOKS GALORE - 175 Perry St. BLUE HERON BOOKS- Uxbridge FOCUS - DECEMBER 2011 31 4121/11 9:30:25 AM