Were you giving birth at midnight on New Year’s Eve? The volunteers at St. Anthony’s Thrift Store want your baby.
“We decided to put together a basket for the New Year’s baby, because we have so many beautiful donations,” said Beccie Bokenfohr, the administrative assistant at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Agassiz.
“So now we need to search out this baby.”
The thrift store opened with a goal of giving back to the community, Bokenfohr said.
“Our mission statement is to give back to the community, that’s the only reason we’re open,” she said.
The store has been able to give to the local food bank, as well as other charitable organizations in Canada, but wanted to make sure they could support their local community.
This giveaway is a first for the new store, and something they are hoping could be an annual event.
“We’ve got some really creative volunteers that came up with this idea,” Bokenfohr said, adding that being able to support giveaways like this are dependent on what donations the store receives.
The 2021 basket is made up of items donated to the thrift store, and includes a stroller, bottle sanitizer and bassinet, as well as clothes, blankets and other items.
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So far the volunteers have already heard of one New Year’s baby: a Ruby Creek infant born at 1:39 a.m.
Bokenfohr said they are hoping to give the basket to the infant born closest to midnight.
“We don’t know if there’s other people, and we have no other way of finding out” unless they tell the thrift store, she said.
Qualifying New Year’s babies can be from as far east as Ruby Creek and as far west as Harrison Mills, including up along the Harrison River to Sts’ailes.
People in the District of Kent and Harrison Hot Springs are all encouraged to participate as well.
Families can stop by the thrift store (7237 Morrow Road) to pick up an application for the basket between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Families can also call the church at 604-796-9181 to talk to Bokenfohr.
Bokenfohr said they are hoping to have all applications in by Jan. 15 and be able to announce the winning New Year’s baby soon after that.
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