The Yamaska Valley Optimist Club (YVOC) supports the positive development of youth in Brome-Missisquoi through different projects and community undertakings. 

The first major initiative undertaken by the organization is called the “Christmas Angel program;” a project that continues during the holiday season to this day. 

The “Christmas Angel program” involves collaborating with a few local schools and organizations in the region to put together a wish list for youth who may not receive a Christmas present. Paper Christmas angels, which include the child’s information and gift ideas, are then hung up in different businesses in the area for the public to choose from if they want to support the program. 

Started over 20 years ago, the “Christmas Angel program” has only continued to grow. This year in particular, 294 gifts were distributed to children in need. 

“We decided that we had all been very lucky in our lives and that every Christmas we were pretty well able to throw the Christmas that we wanted to. We thought that with all of our luck, wouldn’t it be nice if we could share some of that with people who were having a hard time. We just expanded from that,” said Suzan Smith, one of the YVOC club members that started the “Christmas Angel program.”

In its first year, Smith estimated that the group had between 10 to 15 angels. Over the last few years, that number has increased to nearly 300. 

“It’s been getting bigger, but it’s going really well,” noted Darlene Adams, member of YVOC and the “Christmas Angel program” committee.

The “Christmas Angel program” now supports four elementary schools that fall under the Eastern Townships School Board, organizations such as Centre de pédiatrie sociale en communauté main dans la main, La Cellule Jeunes et familles de Brome-Missisquoi, La Maison Horizon pour Elle, and group homes for youth.

The YVOC collaborated with seven businesses this year to get the Christmas angels out to the community. 

“In Knowlton there is Home Hardware (Barnes), La Touche Finale, Le Panier Champetre, and Dépanneur Rouge. In Cowansville we have Giant Tigre and Nettoyeur Houle and then we have Pharmacie Brunet in Sutton,” mentioned Adams.

Smith estimated that the YVOC has distributed around 2,500 gifts since the “Christmas Angel program” got started. 

“We’ve done a lot of gifts. People have been very, very generous to us,” she emphasized.

We hope that there is never a need, but we recognize that there seems to be still a need to help out so that’s where step in, said Smith. 

“The motto of Optimist Club is bringing out the best in children. When everything is going well, Christmas is generally the highlight of a kid’s year. It really bothered us that maybe that wasn’t the case for some children around in the area. (…) It just seemed to catch on to everyone’s imagination,” she added. “Everybody, no matter what was going on during the year, seemed to be ready to give something at Christmas.” 

Listen to the full interview below: