By Barbara Sutherland

There’s a very special Christmas store in downtown Lac La Biche. It isn’t selling anything, and the only people allowed inside must have an appointment. ‘The Perfect Gift Store’ is full of donated toys, books, treats, and items that are free to parents who need a hand up to make Christmas special for their kids. Residents at Golden Sands contributed recently by decorating dozens of bags to carry the gifts.

Glitter, Fluff, Pompoms and More

It was quite a work bee as residents spread out at stations across the main dining room to work on their bags. There was glitter, fluff, pompoms, stickers, and more. “Residents as well as some staff took charge and decorated to their hearts’ content,” says office administrator Theresa Cardinal. “We got to use our creative flair to decorate and ‘bling’ the bags for the Christmas gifts.”

Fun Being Creative

"Care Aide Mary Jane Carmicheal did such a great job getting all of the materials set up and organized in a COVID-safe way," says Theresa. "Due to her preparation, everything went smoothly and residents had a lot of fun being creative."

In all, they were able to deliver 40 decorated bags to the ‘Perfect Gift Store’.