Donations from Kingston’s Gino’s Pizza restaurants are helping the Kingston Youth Center (KYC) provide a more festive holiday season for those who use their services.
This is the first year that Gino’s Pizza has raised donations for KYC, and the shelter’s executive director, Anne Brown, considers it a great success.
“The staff was overwhelmed by the volume of donations delivered to the Shelter at 805 Ridley Drive,” Brown said.
“These donations will have a great impact on the young people who access our services during the Christmas season. Many do not have positive thoughts about the holidays and this will go a long way toward creating new memories for them. “
Gino’s Pizza locations in and around Kingston, as well as Pisano’s and Sydenham Slice House, found some ways to donate funds and supplies to the youth shelter.
Restaurants collected clothing and gift donations through December 12, they are donating one in two dollars from in-store arcade games, and Gino’s also designed a pizza with Youth Shelter Manager Catherine Oxford, donating $ 3 of each of those pizzas sold and $ 1 from each individual. slice.
The pizza is called Rizzilience Pizza, with ingredients that Oxford says are representative of the resilience demonstrated by the shelter’s staff and patrons.
“The youth and staff have been phenomenal through all the challenges of the pandemic.” Oxford said.
KYC operates an emergency shelter at 805 Ridley Drive, as well as two transitional youth homes, offering emergency shelter to those in need ages 16-24, as well as transitional beds, life skills programming, and family mediation. .
Executive Director Anne Brown says staff tries to make this time of year as festive as possible for the youth at the shelter, and donations help put together gift bags and serve up a traditional Christmas dinner.
The shelter is run by the United Way, and Brown says it operates almost at capacity every night.
A final donation count has not been counted as Gino’s Pizza locations continue to collect profits from Rizzilience Pizza through the end of the month.
Donations can also be made to KYC at the Ridley Drive location, with monetary donations and winter clothing being the most requested at this time.
Reference-ygknews.ca