Richmond youth embrace the spirit of giving

It looked and sounded like bedlam. But, as the saying goes, 'organized confusion' was a more apt name for the St Bibiane church basement here, filled with youngsters from kindergarten age to early teens, obviously immersed in the goal - decorate over one hundred brown paper bags, 'lunch size', fill them with candies of all sorts and pack the bags into crates destined for the local Christmas Basket campaign.

Organized by the Pastoral committee at this historical church and presently members of the Catechism program, the annual tradition of calling for volunteers for the task was well represented last Friday with over 20 young folk arriving, gathering every handicraft material available and setting to work, decorating front and back of these sweet gifts going out this year to well over one hundred families in the area. The chatter and laughter in this spacious hall echoed from the corners as older youngsters helped the 'littler' ones realize their dream of unique decoration. As time flew, finished artwork was presented to Sister Lucie Gelinas, c.n.d. and Lucie Bouchard, organizer, and tiny and short, tall and thin, they lined up in front of a long table loaded with large baskets of candies.

Where did all this bounty come from? Volunteers and parents were quick to explain the candy was donated by youngsters, collected on their Hallow'een tours. The kids brought the candy to their school and classrooms and donated it to the Christmas Basket campaign of their own volition.

Now some folks complain the spirit of Christmas is sadly lacking in all the commercial hype that seems to begin as soon as Oct. 31 passes. But, as youngsters aged three years to preteens gathered for a group picture, good humour, smiles and giggles their Christmas music, the Christmas spirit of giving was almost tangible here.