‘Tis the season to share our abundance with our community! This time of year is one of breaking the freeze, playing in the great outdoor wonders of winter, and spending time with the people and pets we hold closest to our hearts. This is the reality of most Edmontonians. However, there are a large number of members of our community who face a very different Christmas story. It’s one of survival, isolation, oppression, and often loss. The difference in their winters is made by the people who reach out and, for some, the pets that keep them warm and feeling loved and needed, the companions that help give their lives meaning and purpose.

Consider donating to the Inner City Pet Food Bank this year. We help connect inner city residents who face barriers when caring for their furry companions with pet resources, such as food, and affordable veterinary care. You may ask, what do you they need most? Our Christmas Wish list in order of priority items goes as follows. Cat Food Wet/Dry, Cat Litter, and Dog Food Wet/Dry. These presents can be dropped off from 9 p.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday at Boyle Street Community Services (10116 105 Avenue).

We recently celebrated another successful year of the Pet Food Bank with our fantastic volunteers! We went to the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) and learned how to create eco-friendly and inexpensive pet toys out of old t-shirts and blankets, as well as helped with the animal socialization process! Please consider bringing your loved ones to adopt from the EHS when choosing to gift someone the joy and responsibility of an animal companion. The Humane Society doesn’t allow adopting out animals as surprise gifts as having a pet requires resources, responsibility, and planned commitment.

It’s also the perfect time of year to buy some local artwork from the Street Prints Artist Collective! This year we have so many great gift ideas to choose from for your friends and family. We have greeting cards for $5, and we are creating calendars that feature our artists’ work, with a new artist featured each month. Of course, we also have our usual 8×10 prints, and t-shirts in a variety of sizes and colours too! If you would like to support local artists, and get some original artwork, join us at the Winter Mekiwin Market and Intercultural Gathering on Dec 8-9 (10-5 p.m.) at Boyle Street Plaza, (9538 103A Ave).

Rebecca Kaiser and Mike Siek are Program Coordinators with ICRWP.