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Red Deer special effort underway to help immigrants

London Drugs, help agencies partnering to fill need
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A local business has partnered with two Red Deer helping agencies to assist immigrant families in need.

People can visit London Drugs to learn about the families adopted by the store, and donate items based on the specific needs of those families. The project is part of the company’s #Welcoming150 program and donation drive to support 150 participating families in Western Canada.

The local store has joined with Catholic Social Services’ Immigration and Settlement Service and Central Alberta Refugee Effort to help two local immigrant companies. Items collected will be delivered to the families before Canada Day on July 1.

General information on the families is provided at a display in the store but the families are not specifically identified, Brian Ozga, store manager said on Monday.

London Drugs will also be contributing corporately, alongside the donations from customers and staff.

According to Catholic Social Services, there is continued need amongst refugee families in the area.

Items needed currently include: hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, tooth paste; kitchen wares such as dishes, cutlery, cooking utensils, small appliances; linens for the kitchen, bath and bedroom; food including snacks, cooking oil, rice, pasta, flour, cereal, juice; cleaning supplies including laundry soap, broom, dust pan, iron, etc. Family needs include items such as books, games or puzzles.

London Drugs has its own connection to immigrants. Tong Louie, whose family acquired the company in 1945, was born in 1914 to an immigrant Chinese family who owned a wholesale food business.