Opportunity for Christmas gifts; food collections

Manon Bourasa and Liane Langlois.

NEW TRANSLATOR: Welcome to Manon Bourassa, the new translator at the EMSB head office. She succeeds Aline Zerounian, who retired after 52 years of service.

CHRISTMAS MARKET: Creatability is a local grass roots organization that aims to expose and celebrate the amazing artistic talents of people with special needs.  Creatability encourages the integration of people with special needs into productive roles in our communities by providing opportunities for them to meet the public, gain experience in selling their wares, and showcasing their enormous potential.

Inspirations Newspaper  will be hosting a Creatability Christmas market in the EMSB Atrium on Thursday, November 24 (11 a.m. to 2 p.m).  We will feature beautiful hand-made jewelry by Sarah Aspler, delightful and original candles by Light A Dream, glass painted art with heart by The Big Blue Hug autism awareness project, and more! Come meet some of our star Creatability artists and artisans. They are delightful to speak with. Their wares make perfect gifts for Christmas - they are beautiful, and share the added bonus of being extremely meaningful.  While some will be able to accept credit cards, most will only be able to take cash. For information contact Wendy at wendyinspirations@gmail.com or #7244.

SHARE THE WARMTH: The annual Christmas food drive  for Share the Warmth will soon be underway and our daytime security officer Donald Allen is once again leading the way.  Donald will place donation boxes on each floor. This year again Share the Warmth calls on your generosity so they can continue to feed the 1,300 visitors per month they have at their food bank serving the South-West of Montreal. Please contribute non-perishable goods once you see the boxes in place.

ANOTHER FOOD DRIVE - FOR HOMELESS CATS: The Côte Saint-Luc Cats Committee runs a very successful Trap, Neuter, Release and Adopt Program (TNRA). While some funding is provided by the city, fundraising is required throughout the year to cover all expenses. In addition, the committee has a number of feeders in the community - people who feed outdoor cats year-round and individuals who foster cats waiting for a permanent home. Styrofoam houses with blankets and hay inside are also provided to keep the cats warm. This year the committee has launched “Food for Felines.”   We also supply food to our “fur” fosters, of which we have several. The donated food will also be used by  committee chair Diane Liebling, who maintains cats in her garage from March through November (post-neutering) as well as for the Library cats, “Eli and Whitney” who are fed 365 days a year outside the CSL Public Library.

You can get cat food most anywhere- Mondou and IGA obviously, but also Walmart, Canadian Tire, Pharmaprix, Jean Coutu, and even Dollarama.  PLease check the expiry date to make sure the food is good for at least a year; especially the dry food- the canned food probably lasts even longer.  You can get a decent bag of food for very little money, and if you’re a member of Costco, you can get a huge bag for less than the mainstream stores. Food can be dropped off in the box  just outside  Room 109.   Many organizations collect food at this sometimes sad time of year, but the cats need us also and we are asking for you help.

Donations, by cash or cheque (to the City of Côte Saint-Luc) are also welcomed. Tax receipts can be issued. Info: mcohen@emsb.qc.ca.

CATS FOR ADOPTION: Maggie and Lulu are year-old sisters looking for a good home. They are in absolutely perfect health and very lovable. E-mail mcohen@emsb.qc.ca if you or someone  you know would be willing to adopt them.