December 30, 2014

Dear Sir,

I wish to take a moment to thank all the people who donated gifts for the KEMH/Agape House and Meals on Wheels shoebox drive.

We collected enough boxes to give every single patient in the Continuing Care Unit at KEMH and Agape a gift box. In fact, we had so many boxes donated that we had enough to leave with nurses on Gordon’s Ward. The nurses distributed these to anyone who had not had a visitor in some time on Christmas morning.

We also had enough teddy bears (donated by Bruce Barritt from Barritt’s & Sons) to give one to every child in hospital. Each child also received a book written and illustrated by Dana Cooper, who handed them to the children in person. Thank you Dana Cooper!

This week we found out that one person had dropped off an additional six boxes on Friday.

Unfortunately, we had already distributed the gifts that morning but I drove around Hamilton and handed these boxes to any homeless people I could find (a total of three).

I also found a lovely couple sitting on the porch at Westmeath holding hands.

The last box went to an 88 year-old lady who lives by herself in Hamilton. She is always out in her garden, which is immense, and I wonder every time I see her where she finds the energy to keep it looking beautiful. She says she eats a banana every single day. Good to know . . .

A big thank you to the staff at KEMH for their time and help and for every single person who donated a box/gift. Also to the volunteers who helped wrap many boxes, Bruce Barritt’s for donating boxes of items, the staff from CellOne and Dana Cooper for her donation of her lovely books.

You all made someone very happy this Festive Season.

I hope that we can do this again next year.

Thank you again,

TRICIA WALTERS

Organiser