A toy drive by two Langley moms resulted in the collection of more than 200 toys for kids living in low-income households.
Held at Langley’s Topham Elementary School, Kanchan Makhija and Aziza Subramanian’s third annual toy drive was not only about bringing the community together in support of the kids but also helping residents celebrate holidays amidst the rising cost of living.
“At a time when parents are more worried about putting food on the table, toys might not be a priority for them,” said Subramanian. “It is not easy to explain inflation to a kid. They just hope to see their gifts under the tree,” she continued.
Makhija and Subramanian were inspired to start the drive after seeing the “joy” gifts brought to the lives of their kids. “It makes us so happy to watch our kids open gifts on Chirstmas morning,” said Makhija. “And then we come across families who can’t experience that joy… that is why we started collecting as many toys as we could to help [low income families],” she continued.
With a vision to reach as many families as possible, the duo decided to partner with the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau.
“[Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau] helped us expand our reach as we didn’t want to restrict to a particular region,” said Subramanian, a realtor by profession.
A mortgage specialist at Royal Canadian Bank (RBC) Willowbrook branch, Makhija’s workplace, too, came on board to help them. The collaboration allowed the donors who couldn’t come to Topham Elementary to drop off the toys at the local bank.
In addition, the ladies offered free pick-up services to the residents, who wanted to donate, but could not attend the toy drive in person.
Even Makhija and Subramanian’s friends as well as relatives, offered a helping hand by sending gifts directly to them through Amazon.
“It was so surprising to receive gifts through Amazon,” commented Subramanian.
Last year, the duo collected about 200 toys, but they are hoping to set new records this year.
Makhija and Subramanian concluded by thanking the community for their support.
“The last two years have been very encouraging and that is what kept us going,” said Makhija.
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