Photo courtesy of ilovefirstpeoples.ca
The children of Bell’s Point School in La Ronge and Ducharme Elementary School in La Loche will receive shoeboxes filled with gifts delivered by a charity known as I Love First Peoples.
While only two communities in Saskatchewan have been chosen at present, the organization is planning to announce more destinations in the coming weeks.
The charity works to deliver shoeboxes filled with toys from across the nation to remote Indigenous Communities. I Love First People hopes to build lasting connections with the communities they work with.
“We work with communities who understand that this is our purpose, to build a long-term relationship,” says the organization’s president, Josée Lusignan. “People who work with us recommend the communities because either they come from there or they have connections to the communities. Other times people will come to us and ask if we can support the kids in our communities.”
The gift-giving program is one part of the organization’s overarching mission of encouraging and supporting the education of Indigenous youth and to promote reconciliation.
Shoeboxes can be donated at locations in Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw or in the mail. Prebuilt boxes and general information on the program are available on the group’s website.