'They're super beautiful': vintage Barbies donated to kids in need in Manitoba
A nostalgic donation to a charitable organization is helping kids in need have a happy holiday season.
Makegooders has been taking second-hand book and toy donations and finding new owners for them since 2019. "We clean them up, we fix the toys if they're broken, and we repackage them in these beautiful gift bags, and we donate them to local organizations that work directly with kids in need," said founder Whitney Morrison.
Despite a pandemic-induced interruption in service, Makegooders has made and donated gift bags to non-profits like the Immigrant Centre, the Boys and Girls Club, and Rossbrook House.
Last Christmas, the group made gift bags for NorWest Co-op on Alexander which were so well received, they're doing it again. "They wanted 100 bags for kids between the ages of six and 12," said Morrison.
Some of the kids receiving the gift bags this year will get an added bonus. "Thanks to Leanne and her aunt, we have all of these really cool vintage Barbies that have never been opened," said Morrison. "They're super beautiful, and so some kids are going to have some really neat toys on top of the usual stuff that we send out."
20 vintage dolls were donated by Leanne Hildebrand on behalf of her aunt, who she said absolutely loved them.
"She really enjoyed collecting them and going to doll shows with my grandmother, the two of them were quite close," she said. "After my grandmother died, she still kept the dolls because she enjoyed them, but also because she wanted to honour the memory of the time they spent enjoying it together."
Hildebrand said her aunt was downsizing and asked her to find a new home for the Barbies.
"She said 'can you look to make use of them,' and so I looked around, I did some research and came across Makegooders on I think Facebook," said Hildebrand.
She liked what the organization was doing. "In terms of not having to purchase and consume more … when I was reading about Makegooders that really made sense to me because that’s certainly the philosophy we try to live by in our own house," she said.
Hildebrand feels good about the donation. "I think that the dolls, if they could speak, would be quite thrilled that they're having a second life, and that they're finding good homes to make some kids happy this time of year."
And while she is excited to be delivering the gift bags this week, Morrison is already preparing for next year.
"I'm happy to take your stuff, I'll pick it up from you or you can drop it off, and yeah, we'll fulfill more orders in 2023."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'She was waiting for you': The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother in England
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Macklem tries to stay out of the fray as MPs do their best to use him to score points
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem navigates a political minefield every time he testifies before the House of Commons finance committee.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.