Are our Christmas donations appropriate?

I am the chairman and founder of the Tunijjusairut Foundation, and I would appreciate some feedback on our Christmas project. We ship about a ton of freight each year to the Baffin region — Christmas gifts for kids, and donations to the sewing program, including sewing machines, wool and fabric.

I need to know if the gifts are appropriate, and also what type of sewing materials are needed, as we see this as a tangible way of supporting families.

We very nearly didn’t make it this year. Air Canada withdrew its support, unlike Canadian North, which has always been ready to ship the freight from Edmonton to Iqaluit.

However, Air Canada did come through after some media attention, and we hope everything got there in time for Christmas. This year I will ship the sewing machines after Christmas to avoid peak shipping time.

Because I am so far away, I rely on local feedback to determine the best way to run our program, which gives 100¢ on the dollar to families. No one makes a thin dime off this registered foundation.

Any and all comment is appreciated. My e-mail address is clarketrim@shaw.ca.

A very happy and thankful Christmas to all the kids in the Arctic, from our family to yours.

Peter M. Clarke
Victoria, B.C.