Candace Stanley, the owner of Beautiful Moments, started a local cause three years ago to give back to the community.

The Christmas Blessing in the Kootenays initially began as a thank you to the local community from local businesses to say thank you by helping local businesses make it through the pandemic. However, each year since she has found the community has needed it as the economy has been hard on many families since the pandemic.

Candace reaches out to businesses Pages Book Emporium, The Choice Shop, and Bumble Tree to see if they are able to help her with the shopping lists each year. These businesses along with her shop, Beautiful Moments, purchases gifts for 100 kids at-cost to be opened Christmas morning.

In order to pay the at-cost costs, Candace raises funds through local businesses, organizations, and individuals with sponsorships, an online auction, and other events.  She tries to give each business the opportunity to help in however they can afford, whether cash for sponsorship or donating to online auction. It takes $75 per child to pay the at-cost costs for a child to receive a hoodie, toy/game, book, meal, candies, and more stocking stuffers.

This year Dominos Pizza graciously donated the meal certificate for each child and Nutters donated all of the candies for the stocking stuffers.  Also, this year most of the applications for the children came from School District No. 5 staff members, which when possible they did applications for each child in the family to ensure no one was left out.

Christmas Blessing in the Kootenays ended up with 105 applications this year with trying to keep it limited to 100 as there was uncertainty about the funding due to more individuals suffering from higher gas prices and food costs.

Christmas Blessing in the Kootenays was able to deliver all 105 bags last week to the schools filled with three quality, new, brand name gifts, a stocking-full of stuffers, and a greeting card signed, “Love, Your Community.”

These 315 gifts were individually wrapped by some local gymnasts, Candace’s family, and other supportive individuals.

Christmas Blessing in the Kootenays goal is to bring love, joy, and hope to our community and does so by helping 100 kids and their families have a brighter Christmas morning.

Christmas Blessing in the Kootenay’s has given out 327 Christmas Blessing Tote Bags in the past three years.

Candace would like to thank our amazing and supportive community as Christmas Blessing in the Kootenays could not make this happen without the support of every piece of our community.  She would also like to thank her husband Don, daughter Chailyn, and son Kavan, who encourage this cause each year, volunteer many hours, and be very understanding of the priority.

If anyone has any questions or would like to learn more, there is a FB page, Christmas Blessing in the Kootenays or contact Candace at Beautiful Moments.

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