One day, Susan Dimitrakopoulos thought to start a Christmas drive for the Scarborough Arts. “People just don't need food at Christmas and Thanksgiving,” said Dimitrakopoulos, an administrator and service co-ordinator for Scarborough Arts.

It began with a simple offering of a few homemade quilts and before she knew it, Jane Barbeau was a board member, selling gift baskets, helping with the Share Christmas program and leading the Fundraising Committee at the Birchmount Bluffs Neighbourhood Centre. That was only a year and half ago.