Gifts for Mr. and Mrs. Claus
The Children’s Gift Shop lets parents relax while their kids choose inexpensive gifts for them
Jenny Burr
Special to Spur Ottawa
A hand-picked gift, just for you, from your child or grandchild is what the Children’s Gift Shop is all about. On Saturday, December 5, children ages three to 13 can shop for gifts priced from $0.25 up to $3.00, at Kanata Baptist Church.
Wendy and Jim Marr have overseen the Children’s Gift Shop for more than 20 years. The money raised from this event used to go to help the church nursery and pioneer clubs.
“Now the money goes to missions that are specific for children around the world,” explains Marr.
Marr says the effect on the community “has been very positive. People from the community and children who went through the shop now volunteer.”
Younger children are paired with a youth helper to assist them in their shopping and to ensure gifts are found for everyone on their list. The helpers remain with them as they pay and while their gifts are wrapped and name tagged. Meanwhile, the parents and grandparents can relax and enjoy treats at the Youth Christmas Café.
Parents tell the Marrs they love the gifts their children buy at the shop. They also say the children’s siblings often play with these gifts more than Santa’s.
Pauline and Frank Eady have been involved for years. One year, their three-year-old granddaughter proudly gave them a Barbie doll, Barbie car, Barbie horse and carriage, and a bag of My Little Ponies.
Setting up for the event requires three full days and evenings of work. The Eadys have pitched in with the set up and tear down, providing shopping bags, and as wrappers and cashiers.
“It always amazes me that the jumble of items piled on the tables on Wednesday night, the boxes of items stacked on the floor, and items that need cleaning are always transformed into a gift for a themed table,” Eady comments.
Jeff Kenmir experienced the shop as a child and later as a youth helper. Now, as the youth leader at Kanata Baptist, he encourages the youth to volunteer for the shop or the Christmas Café. After their first year volunteering, he says most youth are excited to be involved with future events.
“The Café is a youth fundraiser that we run while the shop is happening,” he says. “I’m a firm believer that volunteering and acts of service are an integral part of a youth’s development.”
Kenmir also remembers being there as a kid and picking out gifts.
“Rocks sculpted into eggs and polished to be very smooth are something that people collect. One found its way to the Christmas Shop that particular year. I probably thought that the colours and smoothness were cool. I bought it as a gift for my mom and she still has it today, some 20 odd years later.”
Similar Articles
Sewing seeds
Masks will undoubtedly be part of the norm for months to come. By April, when Canada’s chief public health officer recommended cloth masks, the Metropolitan Bible Church’s city outreach team recognized […]
The source for The Wood Source
The business world sometimes has a reputation as being dog eat dog. Between shoddy jobs, poor service, cash-under-the-table, and questionable tax shelters, it can be rare to find a business you really trust. There are, however, shining examples of businesses, right here in Ottawa, strictly run on Kingdom principles […]
48 ministries partner to bring Ottawa hope
Unchurched people are looking for hope. That is the repeated message One Way Ministries has heard over the past year, and it inspired them to organize an evangelism initiative to help churches across Ottawa reach out the week of Easter. “We are […]
God’s love in a box to go
Early in the pandemic, the Ottawa Mission realized they could no longer serve clients the way they had previously. A serious concern among inner-city charities was the risk of the city’s most vulnerable going hungry. In the face of […]
Ottawa’s post-COVID Church—what does it look like?
As society looks toward a post-pandemic world, Ottawa churches are beginning to reflect on the past two years and evaluate the lessons. To help understand the big picture of the Church in this city, Spur Ottawa connected with six pastors about their church’s challenges and take-aways […]
The table where everyone can be family
While many ministries provide free meals for students and those in need, The Open Table has a somewhat unique goal: they aim for all who come to feel accepted and for those who aren’t Christians to experience what a church community feels like […]