Paying it forward was Lia Venditti’s way of cherishing the past.
Venditti lost her mother Antoniette Persichitti to COVID-19 earlier this year, so when the holiday season approached, she wanted to do something in her mother’s memory.
“She lived in Italy, so we didn’t get a chance to go to the funeral – we weren’t able to do anything because of COVID-19,” Venditti said.
Although her family regularly makes donations to the food bank and school food drives, this year Venditti wanted to do something a little special. She said she “did her research” and found that women were suffering increased abuse directly related to COVID-19.
A survey of 266 Canadian shelters reported 16 percent of shelters noted “much more severe” violence against women and 36 percent reported “somewhat more severe” assaults.
The same survey reported by Women’s Shelters of Canada said the pandemic was curtailing their services and reducing their ability to accept new clients due to public health concerns.
“I just felt the need to do something towards women because I would see on the news a lot of stuff and I would think ‘I need to do something for these ladies and their children that are going through this’ because everybody’s on the edge obviously,” she said.
After determining she would assist My Sister’s Place shelter in Alliston, Venditti turned to social media’s Next Door app, Facebook and Instagram to ask other women for help.
Not only did they respond, but Venditti said the women were so grateful to be able to help other women and children during the Christmas season. She collected toys, pajamas, food and clothing from families across Bradford and into Bolton, Alliston, Vaughan and Richmond Hill.
“We were very grateful,” said Sheila Cormier of My Sister’s Place. Cormier said they have several families with children expected to stay over the Christmas holidays.
As for Venditti, she was especially thrilled to be able to donate toys for the children to wake up to on Christmas morning.
Her goal is to fill her little SUV again next year.
“There’s so many of us that did this,” she said. “We should all do it just because it’s the right thing, not because of anything else. One day these ladies are going to move on and they’re going to be back on their feet and then they can do it. That’s what you’re hoping for, that it kind of pays off for somebody else.”
