P.E.I.'s one-woman free food and clothing store needs a new home

She helps thousands of Islanders a year collecting and giving away free food and clothing, but now Betty Begg is looking for some help of her own.

She is searching for someone who can provide room in a warehouse or other large space, ideally in downtown Charlottetown.

"We need some place, it has overtaken my house," said Begg, the driving force behind Gifts from the Heart Inc., a non-profit organization helping Islanders in need.

"We have to do something, Gifts from the Heart has grown leaps and bounds."

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Begg is known to many Islanders as the creator of the Care Fair, a giant giveaway event held in May. More than 1,000 usually attend and take home free food, clothing and household items no questions asked.

Volunteering for 55 years

Begg has been volunteering for more than 55 years and also brings a personal passion to her work.

"I've been in that situation when I was younger, and I know the feeling of not having it for my children, and not having the food," Begg told the CBC.

Gifts from the Heart is a spin-off from the Care Fair. Begg and her husband collect donations and then hand them out at their home in West Royalty.

The garage is part storage room, part food pantry, and bags of clothing are stashed away in every spare space.

"If somebody calls and they need something or somebody calls on behalf of them, then we fill the orders," Begg said.

With more space, she said she could do more good.

"The ideal spot is downtown, we'll take it any place, because the majority of low income are downtown."

Warm clothing needed

Right now, the most pressing need is for winter clothing, particularly for men, as well as hats, gloves and boots.

"Most of them right now are wearing hoodies and with the cold weather, hoodies are not cutting it," Begg said.

"They might come for a jacket and they go home with a couple of bags of warm clothes."

Begg said she could especially use more clothes for men she's generally collects three times more clothing for women.

Begg has a group of volunteers she calls her "elves" who come to the house every Monday to help sort donations.

"Most of the elves I have, they're elderly like me and getting older, but they have a passion like I have and they want to see people warm," Begg said.

"I'd like to get into that warehouse, get it set up, with these volunteers that have the energy and be able to walk away and say, 'look, we made a difference.'"

'Bring you to tears'

Next up on the calendar for Begg and her elves is a meal and giveaway Jan. 19 at the Hillsborough Community Centre.

But she said, whenever anyone calls, she will always find a way to get them what they need.

"The reaction is beyond belief," she said, whether it's delivering warm blankets to a cancer patient or a set of dishes to a family without any houseware.

"It would bring you to tears."

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