Helping Kingston women move from shelters to new starts, one basket at a time

Kingston Basketeers, volunteers who are passionate about supporting women making a fresh start after leaving abusive situations, are supporting local women in need again this year with acts of kindness.

According to a release from the organization, each year, violence and abuse drive more than 100,000 women and children across Canada out of their homes and into shelters. Often they will leave home with only a few belongings, which is why Kingston Basketeers is helping create and collect thoughtful gift baskets for women making the transition from a shelter to a new home, the organization stated. This is the fourth year Kingston Basketeers has helped at-risk women locally.

“This holiday season, I know Kingston Basketeers will make a big difference in the lives of women who are preparing to make a new start after transitioning from violence to a shelter,” said Claire LaPlante, Chapter Lead of the Kingston Basketeers. “I love to see friends and families coming together to create these baskets, which are really symbols of hope for at-risk women.”  

The Kingston chapter of Basketeers is asking the community to provide some of the simple necessities and niceties of life, bundled in a basket. The organization said that the laundry-sized baskets should be filled with new items in either a personal or household theme. Keeping these in separate baskets allows them to be more easily distributed based on individual circumstances. According to the release, each basket donated will go to a survivor of gender-based violence to help in her new beginning. 

Kingston Basketeers is partnering with Kingston Interval House to distribute the baskets, and is also accepting cash contributions, which will be used to purchase gift card bundles to help these women acquire crucial personal or household items. 

Visit the Kingston Basketeers website to register a basket, or contribute a cash donation via e-transfer to [email protected]. Basketeers note that tax receipts will not be provided, as they are not a registered charity.

The Basket Drop-Off Day event will take place at the Invista Centre from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Donors are invited to bring their registered, fully-wrapped baskets to the drop-off.