Another Successful Run

Final delivery was made today. Grand total of scarves delivered was 233. Plus 300 pairs of thermal socks, an undetermined amount of knitted hats, mittens, headbands, etc., 200 personal care items (perfume, cologne, body wash, bars of soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner - varies depending on supplies), 100 items of jewelry, 200 christmas cards, at least 200 candy canes, 200 Words For Today, 24 gift packs for children which may or may not have included stuffed animals, coloring books, crayons, and lots of smiles and good wishes for a happy and joyous season.

There were 15 organizations on the final list. Freedom Foundation of NS and Alcare Place (transition houses for men in recovery from addictions to alcohol drugs or gambling), Marguerite Centre (an 11-bed facility for women in recovery from addictions and abuse), Direction 180 (mobile methadone outreach), three supervised apartment buildings, Herring Cove Apartments (sponsored by Shelter NS) and Stewart Place and Amethyst Apartments (Metro NonProfit Housing), Laing House and Among Friends (community centers for those living with mental illness), Souls Harbor Rescue Mission, Brunswick Street Mission, and Margaret's House (centers providing meals for the homeless and others), Stepping Stone (community outreach for sex trade workers), the Mik'maw Native Friendship Center and Club 24.

During our deliveries, members of our volunteer Board of Directors dressed in Santa suits to add a bit of holiday cheer to the event. As always, we avoided media coverage during the event, to safeguard the anonymity of our clients. Pictures are available at our facebook page, our twitter account, and our website.

The storeroom is empty. All items that were made by us or donated to us were used during the project. We have about half a dozen knitters, myself included, who are currently working on scarves for the project in 2016. It's a year-round project here at Last House on the Block Society. Addictions, abuse, homelessness, depression and anxiety don't take vacations and neither do we. The plan now is to re-organize and get ready for next year.

At this time, as co-Founder and President of Last House on the Block Society, I would like to thank all of our directors, past and present, all of our sponsors (Dartmouth Community Health Board, Abenaki Aquatic Club, and Doctors NS), all those who donated funds, items, or an extra hand wrapping, bagging, or driving the sled. And all the knitters. If you slipped us a few dollars, knitted a scarf, bought a ticket at one our draws, mentioned us to your friends, gave us a discount when we shopped, you all make the project a success. And, you should all know that you did a good thing this year.