Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Three big-hearted youngsters have been busy in their workshop at home making a variety of Christmas crafts since the beginning of December.
Alice Wannop, her brother, Henry Wannop, and their cousin, Maeve Parcels, are selling the homemade items and donating the money they raise to Santas Anonymous.
Alice, eight-and-a-half years old, makes keychains.
"I'm finger knitting,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think I've made over 30 keychains. It takes about 15 minutes. I can go as fast or as slow as I want."
She has sold about 30 so far at five dollars apiece.
Alice said she's doing this, "so if one person doesn't have a family or money then they can get food and Christmas gifts鈥�.
鈥淚t's to help our community,鈥� she said.
Parcels, six, has been making salt dough ornaments.
"It takes a long time to do," she said. "I cut them into shapes - cows, sugar skulls, roosters, pigs, snowflakes - and put them in the oven.鈥�
It takes about 24 hours to cook the ornaments at a low temperature setting. A bright ribbon is then tied through a hole at the top.
Parcels said she likes to do this "because it's like making playdough, and I like playdough".
The ornaments are two for five dollars and she has sold about 15 so far.
"If they don't have anything - food, clothing - then we can give them money," Parcels said. "I want to help people who don't have much things."
Henry, six, has gone in the direction of food with his crafts.
He's making hot chocolate jars, either dairy-free or with milk-based ingredients.
With five jars lined up at a time, he pours in a layer of either coconut milk powder or milk powder and then dark chocolate or milk chocolate, with dairy-free cream.
A cheery Christmas string is tied around the jar, along with a thank you note written on a Christmas tree cut-out.
In that delicious mixture, Henry said, "just add hot water".
At five dollars a jar, Henry said, "I have sold a lot."
That's about 48 jars so far. Another 24 jars are coming.
"I feel good when I help people," he said.
Lynn Wannop, Alice's and Henry's mom, said this effort is a project through homeschooling, to learn about fundraising, and why and how you do it.
The trio's creations are selling well.
Local support is abundant with donations of materials and money.
As well, Lynn said 10 ornaments were shipped to Ontario, a hot chocolate jar and a keychain were sent to Montreal, and a couple of keychains went to Vancouver.
The youngsters' original goal was to raise $300 for Santa's Anonymous - $100 apiece, Lynn said.
But with sales better than expected, they've put their goal at $500.
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