Following is an extract from an article about Power of HOPE launching in London. The article appeared in theLondoner.ca on Monday, August 15th, 2016.
Organization expands to bring HOPE to London
A community organization that has delivered much-needed items to children in need in Oxford County has brought their efforts to London.
Since 2012, the Power of HOPE organization has delivered pyjamas and teddy bears to children in need in Oxford County at Christmas time. In 2014 and 2015, the Power of HOPE’s Oxford chapter has delivered 735 pairs of pyjamas and delivered them to the Children’s Aid Society – Ingamo Homes and DASO – Women’s Shelter and to the Big Brother and Big Sister organizations.
Having successfully met their goals in Oxford County for the last two years, the Board of Directors for the Power of HOPE decided to look towards London to see what the need in the city was. In meeting with the Children’s Aid Society of London, chapter director Karen Geerts discovered that, in London, there are approximately 2,000 children who enter foster care each year.
To help make the transition easier, Geerts says, “We want to give them comfort packs.” These comfort packs will include “essentials that they’ll need going from one home into another,” such as pyjamas, teddy bears, socks, underwear, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.
Seeing a need in London, the organization wants to expand their efforts to help needy children throughout the year. “For Oxford County, we do it at Christmas time but in London we want to do it all year long,” Geerts says.