Eileen Boyde has been working at Santa鈥檚 Workshop for 19 years.
Today, she鈥檚 a co-ordinator. That involves setting up and organizing the workshop, which repairs old toys.
It鈥檚 鈥渙verwhelming鈥� in the heat of the season, she said. A team of 65 volunteers are involved. They prepare a room of toys and bikes for families that need a discount shopping option at Christmas time.
鈥淭here was an ad in the paper and I was looking for something to do,鈥� said Boyde. 鈥淚鈥檝e made a lot of friends here.鈥�
Since 2005, Boyde has returned each year to participate in the charity. It started as a pastime, but now Boyde has a lot of responsibility to make sure things go smoothly.
There鈥檚 nearly a dozen stations set up in the workshop, where volunteers sort through donated toys. They pair things that go together, assemble all little pieces, shine toys up and more.
The goal is to create a package that invokes childish wonder.
Families then come in and pick packages for their children. Each is sorted by age grouping, category and more.
Around town, she said 30 donation boxes are laid out at stores.
People drop toys in, and volunteers pick up the boxes and bring the donations into the workshop for attention. After clean-up, these toys are offered at the workshop.
Bikes 鈥� of which 200 were gifted last year 鈥� are at a different property. Volunteers inspect each donated bicycle to ensure it鈥檚 OK to give away. Then the bikes are delivered to the workshop for families to pick from.
One volunteer has been purchasing new toys as sales popped up throughout the year. The new toys supplement the workshop to give families something special to add to their list.
Boyde said she knows of several volunteers who have been participating for 30 years. It鈥檚 a charitable use of time, however there is one benefit for volunteers.
In March, the group gets together for a potluck meal at the Filberg Centre. It鈥檚 a tradition. Volunteers celebrate another successful year helping families in Comox Valley.
For people interested in stopping by to look for a present for a loved one, Boyde said appointments can be made by calling 250-871-7273 during business hours. Shopping runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 21.
