'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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.