All proceeds from holiday gifts purchased through The Giving Shop at Oakridge's Fashion on Yonge Street in downtown Aurora support six charities.
The recipients this year are: Alzheimer's Society of York Region; CHATS; Canadian Federation of University Women scholarship program; Southlake Regional Health Centre; Aurora Food Pantry; and Marquee Theatre Productions
Both online and in the shop at 15195 Yonge St. in Aurora, you will find unique items curated by Oakridge’s Fashion owner, Deb Clark. Here is more about the origins of The Giving Shop, what motivates the owner of this iconic Aurora store to give back and what you will find in the 2024 collection.
What started as a way to make a gloomy pandemic year a bit more cheerful has become an annual tradition where York Region residents can learn and raise funds about local charities.
It was Christmas 2020 when Deb Clark, the owner of Oakridge Fashion Inc. was feeling a bit down in the dumps.
“It was a hard year. We were closed more than we were open, and it looked like we were going to be closed again.”
Clark decided putting a Christmas tree in her store would bring her some joy. Once it was up, she realized she didn’t have any decorations and reached out to a supplier who sent her a “big box filled with (felted) mouse ornaments."
The following day the Aurora resident was reading a story in her local paper about the food bank and how they were seeing more people in need. The story upset Clark, who said she decided she would sell the ornaments from her tree with proceeds going to the food bank.
“I replenished that tree three, four, five times as people got caught up in the spirit of it.”
When Oakridge Fashions moved to its current location in the former Bank of Commerce building in downtown Aurora, Clark said she and her family talked about how they could raise more money for charity. Her daughter came up with the idea of buying the felted ornaments with a colouring book or a children’s book.
“I sat down and penned a children’s book about the five (mouse) characters on the tree. Book 3 is this year.”
Each book follows the “daring” adventures of the mice who decorate her tree.
In 2023, Clark added more items to what is now called The Giving Shop at Oakridge Fashions. These items are carefully curated and aren’t usually found at her women’s clothing store. Gifts included menswear, stocking stuffers, scarves and gloves. Six charities benefited from the proceeds from The Giving Shop that year.
This year, the Alzheimer Society of York Region (AS York) is one of the new beneficiaries of The Giving Shop.
“I chose (AS York) because many of my clientele have been touched by Alzheimer’s,” Clark said. Dementia is “touching more and more lives.”
Clark, whose father passed away from the disease, said what she likes about AS York is that the organization helps the person living with dementia and their caregivers.
“I do like that the organization supports the caregivers because (the disease is) difficult for the person who receives the diagnosis and also for those closest to that person.”
The Giving Shop kicked off Nov. 13 with a tree lighting. Invitations are sent, beverages are served, and representatives from the featured charities say a few words. Clark said she reads a page or two from her latest book and the children from the Marquee Theatrical Productions, another one of the organizations that benefit from The Giving Shop, put the latest mice characters on the tree.
The ”lights dim, and the children’s voices raise up in song,” Clark said. “it’s an old-fashioned magical moment and I love that moment. It reminds everyone who is there what giving is all about.”
Clark tries to find unique items that offer something for everyone. The Giving Shop, Clark said, becomes a one-stop shop where you can buy local and “support the community in which you live.”
This year people can find items from the U.K., scarves from Mongolia, mindfulness bangles created by a woman in Texas, board games and hostess gifts such as cheese board and knives, among other items.
“It’s good fun,” Clark said about discovering the items for The Giving Shop. “I see every imaginable stocking stuffer. It’s time consuming, but I take it seriously and with joy. I don’t make a dime. All the money from The Giving Shop goes to charity.”
While raising funds is important, so, too, is raising awareness, Clark said.
During The Giving Shop tree lighting, guests hear from the featured charities. Guests learn “who you are, what you do and how you support the community. By hearing and learning, I hope they themselves are (inspired) to volunteer and support,” Clark said.
“Building awareness across the region is a huge value and everyone will win.”
