The SmartSimple Blog

It’s hard to believe another year is almost over and we’re into the festive frenzy of the holiday season once again. While we all look forward to making merry with friends and family, we also like to make some time to share our good fortune with others. This season, SmartSimple has been collecting food, toiletries and winter accessories like hats and mitts for the Red Door Family Shelter . In this way, we could provide support to several families at once who need extra support at this time of year. The shelter provides temporary housing, counseling services, child care and a food bank to more than 500 families each year, including women fleeing from violence, those who have been evicted, refugees and young mothers who have nowhere else to turn. The Toronto team will also be volunteering at the Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club , packing food hampers to be distributed to less fortunate families in the community. Community Support for SmartSimple users during the Holida...

It’s the time of year when everyone is rushing from festive events to the shopping mall as people get into the frenzy of holiday activities. But for many families, this is more a season of stress than joy. Parents may worry about not having enough money to pay the bills each month while still wanting to ensure their children still have something to look forward to Christmas morning. That’s why April and Sarah Rutka created Holiday Helpers and the annual Adopt-a-Family program. Since 1996, Holiday Helpers has donated Christmas packages to over 1,700 families in the Greater Toronto Area. And, for the third year, the SmartSimple team in Toronto has once again raised funds and purchased gifts to ensure one more family has a very merry Christmas. The SmartSimple adopted family for 2015 was a single mother with three children, and their wish list included basics such as winter coats, boots and pajamas. As part of the Adopt-a-Family initiative, each family also receives a tree ...