A local woman who moonlights as a Christmas elf has finished her third year of wrapping hundreds of gifts for people in need through SOYA's Secret Santa program. She's just one of dozens of volunteers with the organization that helps ensure everybody gets a Christmas.
Save our Young Adults (SOYA) operates a number of holiday efforts, including giving out stockings and gifts from its Gore Street depot and hosting a free hot Christmas Day lunch, among others.
The Secret Santa program is a little different because the presents are delivered to specific people and members of the community 'adopt' those people to purchase the gifts specifically picked out for them. This year, 58 people donated a total of 312 gifts.
Jill McPhee's downstairs living room is transformed into a makeshift Santa's workshop for a few months every year while she wraps presents for people in treatment and local children affected by the opioid crisis. The retired music teacher has long been involved in community efforts, as was her late husband Terry McPhee, who many would know as the host of countless Easter Seals Telethons, as well as many other charitable efforts.
McPhee began wrapping the Secret Santa presents as a way to keep busy after Terry needed to be moved out to be cared for near the end of his life. He died last December at the age of 68.
"I'm here a lot by myself and I know I'm gonna be sad on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, but look what I've got — I've got a beautiful house and I've got my puppy and I have family members," said McPhee. "Imagine people that have nowhere to go."
SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott says her organization is one of the few in the Sault that operates over the holidays and the idea behind the many programs it runs is, 'everyone deserves a Christmas.' The depot, which is usually open three days a week, will be open every day this week.
"The main thing is people, when it comes to treatment, they struggle because they want to be home," said Raynor-Elliott. "We don't want them to leave treatment because the biggest gift to your family is recovery."
While many in the Sault witness the effects of the opioid crisis by seeing people living with addiction and poverty in the streets, Raynor-Elliott said many would be surprised by the number of children who are impacted in the city who are not as visible.
McPhee has been volunteering with SOYA for about 12 years. She got involved after a loved one with substance use disorder became affected by the opioid crisis. That loved one is now in recovery and has been clean for seven months.
"I give back as much as I can, because I couldn't have gotten here without Connie and without SOYA," said McPhee.
In addition to McPhee's work wrapping, SOYA depends on an army of volunteers to deliver the Secret Santa gifts before the special day and to distribute presents and stockings from the depot.
"It's community helping community," said Raynor-Elliot of the effort behind getting the gifts out to the people who need them.
On Saturday, hundreds of gifts and stockings filled with essentials and goodies were given out to people in need at the SOYA depot on Gore Street. Those were in addition to the ones delivered as part of Secret Santa.
Some stockings were also delivered to the Community Resource Centre, Breton House, Northway Wellness Centre and 41 were given to people living in encampments. In total, more than 400 stockings were distributed and Raynor-Elliott said some have yet to be delivered to Ken Brown Recovery Home and Pauline's Place.
Raynor-Elliott said the Giant Tiger store on Trunk Road was a big help, offering quality stockings at cost.