It has been said that Christmas is for kids, but some kids don’t always get what their wishing for – even when that’s the basic necessities of life.
Through the Life Ready Centre, based out of Cloverdale, Langley’s Kimz Angels will be helping to create a better Christmas experience for youth in Langley and the surrounding areas starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Former CFLer Will Loftus is the founder of the Life Ready Centre. He said this is the third year Kimz Angels will be participating in the special breakfast event.
“Santa will be there,” Loftus said, “and breakfast for all the kids and family. It’s a Christmas breakfast with pancakes and sausages.”
In addition to breakfast, haircuts will be offered along with hair styling and manicures for the girls. There will also be clothes for kids from age five to 19 years old, noted Loftus.
“New shoes and new jeans elevates their self-confidence,” he noted. “So kids want to go to school.”
Loftus grew up in East Van so he saw what it was like when people needed help. He has also witnessed the benefit kindness has made to individuals when they got that help.
“It’s a need,” he said of the Christmas breakfast and the Life Ready Centre programs that are offered year round.
“It’s for youth, to help remove the barriers, so kids can focus on their future, their goals and dreams.”
Gifts will be provided to kids from age five to 13 years old. Those 14 and older will receive gift cards.
“All the kids that are in foster care, who have been referred to us, will receive gifts that have been donated by the outstanding members of the community,” Loftus said.
He thanked the Fraser Valley Foster Family Association for their contributions to making the breakfast possible.
He also credits Seaspan for their support of the Life Ready program, which offers youth a place to go, complete with directed programs, computers, tutors, and a lounge to help kids have a place to go with consistency and support year-round.
Langley’s C&D Logistics is also a supporter of the Life Ready program.
“Youth can get mentorship and a sense of belonging, that’s the key,” added Loftus. “I truly believe there are people in the community who want to help, but they don’t know where programs exist.”
To find out more about the Life Ready program people can go online to: Lifeready.ca.