The holidays bring to mind a lot of things; friends, family, good food, amazing time spent together. But, it’s important for all of us to remember how important this time of year is to band together and lend a helping hand to those who find the holidays more challenging. Here at Coastal Inns, we believe that we play an important role in our communities. Each Coastal Inn location is owned and operated by Maritimers. Our employees have called these same locations home, in many cases for their entire lives. With that in mind, we feel a deep sense of connection to our communities and have a number of ongoing initiatives. Here’s are some ways our locations are helping:
Coastal Inn Dartmouth
In Dartmouth, the team is taking part in the Angel Giving Tree for the Salvation Army. The annual toy drive collects for families in need, and the Dartmouth location is inviting guests to participate with them! IN addition, they are also gathering food items to donate to the Salvation Army, and local food banks as well!
Coastal Inn Halifax
Across the harbour, Coastal Inn Halifax is sponsoring a family. A front desk agent at the inn posted on a community Facebook page about a single mom and her four kids, aged 7 to 13, and the support from their community has left them breathless. They have a tree, gifts, toys, and clothes offered from various people throughout the community. Winter clothing will be donated by Value Village, and other community members have offered cash donations and a complimentary massage and haircut for mom. The team at Coastal Inn will be buying Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for the family, and the housekeeping staff has offered to cook it all.
The kids will wake up to gifts under their tree, and they will have warm clothing for the season. The gift of giving is what it’s all about!
Coastal Inn Sackville
Many staff at our location in Sackville have decided to have a payroll deduction each pay period to donate to Respite Care in Moncton, NB. Friendship Inns, Ltd, the head office of Coastal Inns, matches what they accumulate. They have been doing this for quite a few years, and present their cheque early each New Year.
Coastal Inn Dieppe/Moncton
The hotel and staff made a substantial donation of furniture and accessories to Habitat for Humanity last summer. This makes a difference, and their support will help families in need of a home and the required furnishings. As well, employees make donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Moncton through regular payroll deductions. These funds are matched by the hotel for double the impact.
For those of us fortunate enough to experience the joy and positivity during the holiday season, taking every possible opportunity to spread those sentiments around is the best place to start if you want to develop a closer connection to your own community. By doing things like food and toy drives, volunteering with local charities, or donating to the organizations that help our less fortunate – you’re doing your part to ensure that the love of the season sticks around for years to come.
