December 2024: ALICE & Friends™ – winter charity

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December 2023: ALICE & Friends™ – winter charity

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December 2022: “ALICE & Friends“ – winter charity

Dear friends, I’m glad to share with you that on the first day of a very cold winter (December 21, 2022) I was able to organize the annual charity of the Circle.

Given that nowadays the economy is somehow slowing down and the price of food is constantly increasing, this year we extended a helping hand to a Food Bank Agency from Vancouver (also helped by Fraser Health Authority), which is serving daily a hot lunch, snacks, fruits, tea or coffee to many vulnerable people (men, women & teenagers) living with mental illnesses, poverty or homelessness. In my opinion, they are doing a great humanitarian work!

With a handful of small donations offered by few enthusiasts of Alice & Friends Circle™ as well as my family contribution, this charitable gesture happened.

After I discussed with the manager in charge of community projects I understood their needs and I’ve purchased the type of food they would need to cook those hot meals for the needy people they are taking care of. Our gesture was very well received and sincerely appreciated!

Probably some of you may wonder why do I continue to share these gestures with you?! Well, the reason of this sharing is to continue to exemplify (to the point, from a community perspective) that if you really want to do good in this world it is possible without being super rich, but rather being willing to hear, to see, and to care!

Concluding, my most sincere appreciation to my loyal friends for their ongoing collaboration! Without any doubt, all these heart driven projects bring along a deeper understanding of humanity in general, words can’t properly describe.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchill)

● Previous philanthropies I organized for Alice & Friends Circle™ – 2021 | 2020 | 2019 (gesture 1 & gesture 2) | 2018

December 2021: Our annual winter charity

During this cold December I was able to organize our group annual charity, helping again (on Thursday, December 16’21) the shelter of women and children affected by domestic violence.

The reasonable donations collected from several loyal friends of ALICE & Friends Circle™ as well as my family’s contribution helped me purchase different basic necessities for the women and children currently residing at the refuge, and by this briefing I’m glad to share that our gesture was very well received by everybody there. Deep down in my heart I wish that hope instead of hurts would shape their future.  

On the other hand, while at this page, I would like to briefly refresh again that the purpose of this sharing is to continue to exemplify (from a community stand point) that if you really want to do good in this world it is possible without being extremely rich, but rather being willing to care!

In closing, MANY THANKS again to all the supporters of these humanitarian projects, assuring each of them of my most sincere gratitude and appreciation!

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)

● Previous philanthropies I organized for ALICE & Friends Circle™ – 2020 | 2019 (gesture 1 & gesture 2) | 2018

December 2020: A charitable gesture

Astronomically speaking, winter is around the corner, but before it arrives, on Thursday (December 17'20) I was able to organize a charitable gesture, this time helping the shelter of women and children affected by domestic violence.

With a handful of modest donations collected from several supporters of "ALICE & Friends Circle" as well as my family contribution this charity gesture could take place. On this matter, after my discussions with the manager in charge of the facility, in order to have a better understanding of their most stringent needs, I was able to purchase a number of items for these unfortunate women and children. Needless to say that our rather shy helping hand was sincerely appreciated by all!
We trust that those souls won't lose faith in humanity and would keep alive their hope for good.

Also, while at this page, I would like to share that the charity work my family does is private (as we don't need to show off), but the purpose of this briefing is to continue to exemplify (from a community stand point) that if you really want to do good in this world it is possible and you don't have to be extremely rich, but you have to be willing to care!

Once again, many thanks to my loyal friends and to my beautiful family for always being by my side and supporting all these heart driven projects - I consider myself truly blessed to have you all part of my life!

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, the opportunity and the responsibility
to give something back by becoming more."

● Previous philanthropies I organized for ALICE & Friends Circle™ – 2019 (gesture 1 & gesture 2) | 2018

Singing Christmas Carols to a seniors’ house

Since the most significant winter holidays are almost here, today (Sunday – December 22’19) I was inviting a number of good, loyal and reliable friends to join me for a visit to a seniors’ house in town, to sing them several Christmas carols, and to bring along a renewed message of joy, peace and goodwill. 

The residents were happy to see us and while we were singing our seasonal songs, the youngest member of our group (a lovely teenage boy) was serving them each with Lindt chocolates (separately wrapped) which I personally bought and brought especially for the occasion. 

On the first part of our program, we offered the audience a number of Romanian Christmas carols, while on the second part we sang them several well-known English ones for which I did invite our listeners to sing with us and few seniors did join along.

The event in itself was really touching, because the faces of those elders really brought back to most of us dear memories of our own grandparents…it felt like their images (the images of our own grandparents) were transcending time & for few moments they were in the same audience together with the other residents…perfect moments to cherish, leaving behind a pregnant trace of a gentle, yet meaningful occurrence, nonetheless highlighting the spirit of Christmas. Beyond any doubt, it was a rewarding experience for all! After we concluded our program there, candidly receiving their applause, we waved them ’good bye’, while wishing all blessed & peaceful holidays, with a very Merry Christmas & a happy New Year! On our way out, the satisfying ’taste’ of giving was filling our hearts with such a genuine joy!

On the other hand, while still at this page, I’m extending again my most sincere appreciation to my invitees who were able and willing to join me today. It is a super busy time of the year for everyone, but through their prompt reply to my call they proved to be wonderful souls who care and value the joy of giving. I consider myself super blessed to have them all part of my circle! 
Alice

Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. 
It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. 
It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values.

Winter Charity (December 2019)

As cold weather is slowly settling in, today (Sunday - December 15'19) together with a group of good friends I gathered to prepare a number of bags filled with a few basic winter necessities (such as winter toques, gloves, wool socks, scarfs, blankets and some comforting food) for several homeless people in our city.
The reasonable donations collected from some of my friends as well as my family’s financial contribution made this gesture possible. We couldn’t help everyone, but at least we could help some. Indeed, a warm humanitarian gesture delivered in the middle of a cold day. 

This philanthropic activity is shared with you all to reveal once more that in life you don’t have to be super rich to care. In this very consumerist world, when so many are running for getting more, it is truly heart touching to roll your sleeves side by side with fellows who are willing to give a bit of their time, willing to give a bit of their money, willing to give a bit of their work in order to gift (at least for a temporary relief) another less fortunate human being with a little something, as well as a kind smile and a bright “Merry Christmas!” greeting. Nevertheless, charity is not about pity, but rather about caring.

A person’s true wealth is the good s/he does in this world.

                                                       
While at this page, once again, I’m expressing my most sincere appreciation to my husband and to these good friends for being by my side today so together we could spread a bit of goodness around, during a time of the year (pre-Christmas time) when everybody is super busy with lots of different activities, typical of this season. Thank you, dear ones, for being part of my circle!

“Every charitable act makes a difference.” 

A previous event I organized on the same theme: A charitable gesture on winter (December 2018)

Charity on the 1st day of winter (December 2018)

Winter has arrived, and outside it is cold, wet and windy! It is December (December 22, 2018) and the entire world is preparing for Christmas, but unfortunately there are still many people without a warm shelter, seriously incapacitated and in a dire need of some basic, simple necessities.

With a few modest donations collected from several friends as well as my financial contribution, today I’ve managed to organize a small group of dear friends so together we could prepare a number of bags filled with some basic winter necessities (such as winter toques, gloves, wool socks & scarfs) for the homeless people on East Hastings Street. Regrettably, we couldn’t comfort them all, but at least we were able to offer a shy help to a handful.

Why am I sharing this gesture with you? Definitively not to show off, but rather to demonstrate (to ourselves & to whoever is willing to listen) that IT IS possible to make a good difference in the world without being filthy rich. 

On the other hand, by this note, I’m also extending my sincere appreciation to my husband and to my dear friends who, at this busy time of the year (right before Christmas, when everybody is super busy with cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc.), found few hours so we could work together on this charity project.

In closing, the message to pass along it is more of an encouragement, as any time you can, wherever you can, be good & do good, because kindness it is always free!

Be the change you wish to see in the world.