So Many Ways to Give - theHumm December 2016

By John Pigeau

The holiday season is here again: a time to celebrate with family and friends, a time to be grateful for all of our blessings, and, perhaps most important of all, a time to give. Every December now, oh, for the last ten years perhaps, my parents have said to me, “We don’t want you to get us anything for Christmas. We have all we need. We just want you to be well.”

Happy and healthy, they mean — and I love their thinking. It gets me to thinking that, above all, the best gift we can give one another is love and friendship, kindness and compassion. Giving is always good. And generosity matters.

With that in mind, there are some great organizations in Perth you can give to this holiday season that do some pretty amazing things for the community. Your gift to them, perhaps in the name of a family member, will help others while strengthening the community.

The Table Community Food Centre is one of the organizations I’ll suggest donating to this Christmas (or whatever holiday you might be celebrating). Ramsey Hart, Executive Director at The Table, says donations are always gratefully accepted.

“Making a holiday gift donation to The Table is a great way to show someone you care about them and that you care about our community and the 2,000 plus people that benefit from our programs each year,” Ramsey says. “Your donation will contribute to life-changing programs that use the power of good food to build health, hope and community, including the Good Food Bank, Community Meals, food skills for everyone from toddlers to seniors, the After School Program, Advocacy Office and Community Gardens.”

Ramsey says it’s easy to give on behalf of a loved one too. “The Table has regular and e-cards that can be used to share your generosity with your colleagues, friends and loved ones.”

Donations to The Table can be made online at thetablecfc.org , or by dropping them off in person or mailing them to 190 Gore Street East, Perth, ON K7H 1K3.

Another invaluable community resource is the Perth & District Union Library. Lots of folks think of books, of course, when they think of libraries, but libraries offer so much more than literature. They are vital community hubs of information, imagination, and inspiration.

Erica Heesen, CEO and Chief Librarian at the Perth & District Union Library elaborates: “The Perth & District Union Public Library works to be a key to a stronger community by connecting people to information, to each other, and by being a place for learning, discovery and growth. Donations to the library are used to enhance library services, such as collections and programming for children, teens and adults. You can direct your donation to a specific cause or make a general donation. Donations over $20 receive a charitable tax receipt.”

The Perth & District Union Library is located at 30 Herriot Street in Perth. Please note they will be closed from December 5 to 15 to make some changes to their space. Visit their website at perthunionlibrary.ca for more information.

When it comes to family and friends, why not give them the gift of your time? Take them to dinner. Treat them to a night out. You could do that early in December, too, when BarnDoor Productions stages its adaption of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol.

BarnDoor is putting a fresh spin on this holiday favourite, which promises to be “fast-paced, funny, moving, and above all entertaining — an all-around crowd pleaser.” The folks at BarnDoor will be using the text from Dickens’ book, bringing his words back to the story. There will also be songs, but they will be given decidedly modern beats that should surprise and delight, one and all.

Performances will take place on December 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 at 8pm and December 4 and 11 at 2pm, at Full Circle Theatre, 26 Craig Street. Reserved tickets will be $20; $22 at the door. Students and children are $10. For information or to reserve tickets, call 267–1884 or go to barndoorproductions.ca .

And if you’d like to put something truly elegant under the tree, why not ring in 2017 in style with your certain someone at the Perth Manor New Year’s Eve Dinner? You will be greeted with party favours at your table, and then wowed with a multi-course meal that includes hors d’oeuvres, amuse-bouches, appetizers, soup, salad, an entrée and dessert — the very definition of the whole nine yards! A champagne toast at midnight is included, and there will be a cash bar as well. There’s even a private dining room available for a group of 8–18. For more details or to reserve your spots, visit perthmanor.com or call 264–0050.

There really are so many delightful ways to give. Food is a wonderful gift. Bring someone a meal — something delicious and comforting, or maybe something they wouldn’t normally make for themselves, something special. Spend some time with them, too. So many folks who live alone get lonesome at the holidays. There is great joy in the seemingly simple things, like sharing laughter and conversation. It seems to me these are the gifts that people remember and cherish most, with tremendous joy and gratitude.

Treats are nice too, like a yummy pie from Perth Pie Co. or delicious cake from the Sunflower Bake Shop. Seasonal flowers from Apropos on Foster Street would be a lovely gift as well, sure to brighten anyone’s holiday spirits. One of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received was a gift certificate for a haircut and a gentleman’s shave at a local barbershop. I bet the Father & Son Barber Shop at the corner of Foster and Wilson Streets would be the ideal spot for that, and I bet any father, son, husband or friend would be thrilled to get pampered!

Of course, there are a whole lot of events happening in Perth this month (which you can find on The Humm’s event calendar): plenty of music, art, crafts, theatre, and special shows and Christmas events. What better time to be with family and friends, to share in the joy of the season, no matter what you chose to do over the holidays. Why, you could all shovel out the driveway together! And hey, snowball fight!

However you spend the holiday season: be well, give. And from my family to yours, from me to you, cherished reader — Merry Christmas!

Happy Local Holidays! - theHumm December 2016

By Kris and Rob Riendeau

Here at theHumm we’re big on local economies. The retail and service businesses in the small towns that we cover play a huge role in the cultural life of those towns. Each store, restaurant, or sma......

So Many Ways to Give - theHumm December 2016