2024 Citizen of the Year
By John Swartz
Monday’s Orillia council meeting had a special component on the agenda, the annual awarding of the Citizen of the Year.
Linda Pearce was given the award for her work creating and managing Linda’s Gifting Project.
Over 24 years of doing this work off the radar, she has developed a network of people to help her make gift packages for children in need.
“All the holidays, all the special occasions, Mother’s Day, Valentines; I do about 2,000 kids a year,” Pearce said of when she targets delivering gifts. Lately she’s been making gifts for Valentine’s Day.
“I just finished, I did 200 packages for the Sharing Place for Valentine’s and I did 60 for 5 shelters; just like it was Christmas gifts, toys and games.”
The work never stops.
“I work every day all year. I’ll most likely do work when I get home because there’s always so much to be done,” she said, with the next giving occasion in mind. “I have a workshop, I have about 300 totes and I fill those. They are all labelled by ages and boys and girls. I shop and I buy things for each tote and I contact all the organizations.”
Christmas is always big, but this past one stood out.
“I did more than I ever did in my life, it was over the top,”
“I had handmade stockings, I did about 650 this year and I fill them with chocolate and candies and toys and those go to the food bank and to the Salvation Army food bank.”
No toothbrushes with all that candy?
“No, the shelter children get the toothbrushes and toothpaste, that kind of thing – and toys. They’re huge gift bags,” filled with toys, games, puzzles and clothing. “I buy clothing when it’s really cheap on sale, but they have to give me the sizes,”
She does most of the packaging, but said she couldn’t do it alone.
“I have about three regular girls that come during the week, and then there’s a whole knitting group. I don’t know how many people (are) in that group, it’s a huge group. Then there’s people that sew and people that like to get me deals and stuff. Then there’s people that donate stuff.”
Some items are donated, but most things are bought.
“Oh I buy a lot of stuff. We’ve worked through our savings,” she said. “I’m an extremely frugal shopper. I have to be if I’m going to have gifts for 200 children. I go into a store and say, “if you want to get rid of those things, I’ll buy the whole lot,” at a certain price. I just wheel and deal.”
She has used money from their own family savings, but people have also been donating cash for the project.
“They could do an eTransfer, lots of people do. Last Christmas I got about $10,000 in donations – no fundraiser (event),” Pearce said. People wishing to make a donation can contact Linda by way of her Facebook page.
She was accompanied to the award ceremony buy her husband, Rick, who managed to keep a secret from her, for a short while.
“I nominated her, but I didn’t tell her,” Rick said.
He spoke of what happened when the call came from the City informing Linda she was a finalist.
“She said, “What?” They said somebody nominated you and she said, “Can you tell me who?” and they said no. So I’m laughing listening to this phone call and she hangs up and goes, “Citizen of the Year, I’m one of the finalists. I said, “Really.”
Following giving Pearce the award, Mayor Don McIsaac said, “Orillians are giving people, they’re volunteers, they help out and I think you’ve seen that and demonstrated that. Thank you for all you do,”
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia) Main: Orillia mayor Don McIsaac presents Linda Pearce with the 2024 Citizen of the Year award
