Have you heard about Blanket BC, a charity offering blankets to people without housing? Every winter, they hold a campaign at Canada Line stations to collect donations, including warm blankets, winter clothing, gloves, and knitted hats. This initiative took a break during the pandemic and finally returned in 2022. Japanese and Mandarin-speaking newcomers participated in the 2022 Blanket Drive as volunteers.
We placed a large cardboard box in front of the station’s fare gate and learned to call out, “Any donation would be appreciated!” while waving the donation tin as people headed for the train or got off the platform. It was a gloomy November day. Outside the sky train station, it was cold as the temperature dropped throughout the day. Despite the cold, we were determined and inspired to help the most vulnerable people in the community to get through the hard winter.
A volunteer said:
“When people stopped to drop coins or bills into the tin, I felt the warmth of their hearts and forgot about the cold for a moment.”
At the end of November 2022, snow is already falling in the city. We hope that the donated blankets and winter clothes will reach those in need of warmth as soon as possible.
