Barbara Empey is grateful to the kindhearted customers at the Waffle House who are helping needy folks at Christmas.
This year will be the fifth year that Empey will join her son Jason in giving out gifts to homeless people in downtown Vancouver on Christmas day. Word of Empey's efforts has spread among customers and staff at the Waffle House, where she has worked for nearly 20 years.
"I got so many donations just by word of mouth," she said. "I'd like to thank all the customers."
Staff and customers have donated clothing items and cash to help out with the Christmas gifts.
"An 83-year-old lady donated 28 toques, all homemade," Empey said. "She knitted them up when she found out what I do."
Empey collects clothing and other items year round and hands them out on Christmas morning. Cash donations have been used to purchase items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks and mittens.
Empey's son Jason takes food and other items to homeless people in Vancouver every week. Five years ago, he invited his mom to join him on Christmas morning.
"We give what we can. We clean out our closets," Empey said of the three bins of clothing donated last year. "This year I had so much money given to me, I went out and bought what they asked for last year."
Empey is touched by the response from customers and staff at the Waffle House and wants them to know the needy folks in Vancouver appreciate their support. Last year, Empey provided gifts and clothing to about 100 people.
"I do appreciate everything everybody brought in," she said. "It is going to put a smile on a face. It is unbelievable. They are so happy to get something. Some of them cried."
FESTIVE SPIRIT ALIVE IN WEST END
The West End Business Association is taking a shine to Christmas.
Amber Anderson, president of the association, spearheaded a window decorating contest during the holiday season.
Shine, located at 950 12th St., took first prize; Press Start (a video gaming store at 734 12th St.) won second prize, and Ole Ole Mexican Deli at 831 12th St. won third prize.
While five city councillors judged the displays, Coun. Chuck Puchmayr had a different role; he was playing the role of Santa at Shine, which had free pictures with Santa event.
Other 12th Street merchants also got into the spirit of the window decorating contest, with Neil Douglas Guitar Shop contributing a guitar for first place, Amber's Choice providing a gift certificate for second prize and Puchmayr donating a ukulele (from Neil Douglas Guitar) for third prize.
PICTURES OF THE CITY'S PAST
The New Westminster Museum and Archives has received financial support from the Government of Canada to complete the processing of the photographs of Frank Goodship.
The collection consists of more than 2,000 negatives and a small number of colour slides. Almost 1,500 of these images are now online.
"The photographs offer a vivid look into the New Westminster of the postwar years," said Barry Dykes, archivist at New Westminster Museum and Archives. "The public is now able to view the photographs by using the archives' public database, which was launched earlier this year. The information we were able to find for some of the photos has been included in their descriptions, but there are still many photographs that need to be identified. We hope now that these photos are online, the public may help provide additional information about them."
Goodship was a photographer for The British Columbian, a New Westminster newspaper, from 1949 to 1954, after which he became a television producer for the CBC. After leaving the CBC, he went abroad, where he was involved in the development of television facilities for African nations.
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