It’s been a difficult year for dozens of families who lost their homes when six tornadoes ripped through the Ottawa region in September. But an Ottawa woman is working to make their holidays a bit brighter.
Earlier this month, Tanya Laughlin set up an online registry for those affected by the disaster. Since then, donors have purchased dozens of gifts.
“We do have some international buyers. There’s a family in Ireland that has bought stuff, the Toronto area, Ottawa area, Vancouver,” Laughlin told CTV Ottawa.
The Amazon wish list includes gifts that were hand-picked by those who lost possessions or whose homes were destroyed by the tornadoes. Gifts range in price, from a colouring book for $5.99 to a laptop for $330. Household items, such as bedding, lamps and kitchenware, make up a large portion of the list.
Each item is wrapped by hand and personally delivered by Laughlin.
Still, the registry is about 100 gifts short. With just a few days left before Christmas, Laughlin hopes she’ll be able to get a gift to everyone.
Among the recipients are Jessica and Jordan Woods, whose home was demolished by the storm. They’re spending the holidays in a rental home. They say that this year, Christmas shopping has been particularly challenging.
“Normally we love shopping for Christmas, we love shopping for the kids, but this year the motivation just wasn’t there for us. And when this came about, it was like a blessing,” Jordan Woods said.
“We just can’t get over the generosity of people who don’t even know us,”
The tornado was the most powerful wind storm to hit Eastern Ontario in more than 100 years, according to Environment Canada. Approximately 3,300 people turned to the Red Cross for support following the devastating weather event. Canadians have since donated millions to support recovery efforts.
