Friends rally together for clothing drive

James Cormier

On the night of December 6, a group of nearly 60 friends and family gathered at the University Tavern Bar & Grill restaurant at the corner of King Edward and Somerset East. They were there for an evening of holiday cheer to collect clothing donations for Ottawa Innercity Ministries, an organization that directly supports individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness.

A Sandy Hill trio, Danika Elliott, Gordon Forrest and James Cormier, started this tradition two years ago as a holiday gathering among friends. It has expanded into sharing the holiday spirit with their wider community.

“The event kept growing each year, with more friends joining in the cheer,” said co-organizer James Cormier. “We realized we had an opportunity to extend that spirit beyond our own circle. For us, a clothing drive made perfect sense; it’s something tangible that people can physically bring. Most people want to do good, so we just made it easy for them to do so.”

Guests were encouraged to bring warm clothing, socks, coats or other winter essentials. A total of 400 items were collected, with 355 of those being high demand items like food, hygiene products, and winter accessories. The following week, everything was delivered to Ottawa Innercity Ministries to support their programs as temperatures drop in the city.

Although the main event took place for one night only, anyone in the Sandy Hill area who wishes to support the spirit of the initiative is invited to consider making a personal donation to Ottawa Innercity Ministries or similar causes. (See the story on Capital City Mission on page 18.) For more information about OIM, you can contact: office@ottawainnercityministries.ca or visit the website: ottawainnercityministries.ca

“We are eager to see how many people we can help, and we are hopeful that we inspire others to do some good in whatever capacity they can,” said co-organizer, Gordon Forrest. “Hopefully we can spark a little good in our community, showing how easy it can be to bring friends together for a good cause.”