Community News
The gift of giving at Christmas; Christmas Party Toy and Food Drive
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
On Saturday, December 14th, 2019, Toronto Caribbean Newspaper attended the Christmas Party Toy and Food Drive, hosted by the beautiful Selena Spencer. One aspect of the holiday season, regardless if you celebrate it or not, is this feeling of generosity and joy that seems to be contagious. All over the city you can find different drives aimed at giving back to the diverse communities of the GTA. What attracted me to this event was not only the fact that attendees would have an opportunity to eat good food, dance, laugh and enjoy themselves, but the beautiful young lady who was behind it. Toronto Caribbean Newspaper would like to introduce to you a dynamic speaker, counsellor, Ordained Minister, and mentor Selena Spencer.
Selena is the founder and CEO of Divine Purpose Community Service Inc. Founded in 2005, Selana’s main objective was to create an organization that provided services and events for the entire family that feeds their mind, body and soul. Her vehicle to provide this service; she has used a mix of events (like the Christmas Toy and Food Drive), as well as seminars and workshops for youth, women, men and their families. Mixing inspirational and motivational teachings, she provides the community with the tools they need to make positive changes in their lives.
On December 14th, local community members gathered at JP’s Restaurant located at 286 Atwell Drive, in Etobicoke for a night of love, laughter, and gift giving. Although the weather was bleak, JP’s was filled with people, all out to support this great cause. The awesome part about the night was how Selena marketed the event. There wasn’t a monetary cost to come to the party; all you had to do was bring either a food donation, or a toy donation. Brilliant. I showed up with a basket full of food put together by the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper team, and enjoyed a night of networking, story sharing, and of course food and drinks.
When I arrived, Selena greeted me with a huge hug, and a thank you for coming. Even though she had to be hostess to her many guests, Selena took a moment to sit down with me and share her thoughts on the night. “I am so ridiculously grateful for everyone who came out and donated. People donated food, toys, and even money so that I could go and buy some more toys. Some people were not able to make it physically, but they still hit me up to donate money for the cause. It is not just about Christmas Day, but everything after. “
“All the donations will be given to homeless shelters in the GTA, as well as to people who we may not even know are in need,” Selena continued. “My heart is overwhelmed from all the support we received. Special shout out to JP for allowing us to use his restaurant to host the event, DJ SkinRoc (Christopher Allwood) who kept our ears happy, and bodies moving, my daughter Brianna and her friends for modelling, and everyone else who came by. There are going to be a lot of happy children this year because of you.”