I met Andrea at a music class where our wee ones were dancing and singing to Tip Toe music. I would take my sketch book, as I do everywhere and draw every moment I had a chance. Later, through social media, I found that that Andrea was a nutritionist and a fitness instructor, so I decided to follow her. What I saw over the year was a woman dedicated to making sure families ate healthily and in a fun way. I liked all her posts and enjoyed watching her from her kitchen with her girls in the background sharing her cooking traditions.
So I sent her a message and pitched an idea. We endeavoured to work on it as 2020 hit us, we kept in touch but everything was up in the air, trying to manage our passions and households. When Andrea reached out about a month ago (end of November 2020), saying she had written a book and would like to have it delivered to people by Christmas this year! I admit, I thought it was ambitious and a short time line but it was exactly up my street because I can only really work under pressure!
The process was, drawing from life, mainly, and working from sketchbooks that I keep. I find that drawing from life make the drawings more vibrant. In fact, about a year an half ago, I did draw a sketch of a little girl in a music class across from me, what I did not realise was that this little girl’s mother and I would complete a project together and I be would drawing her again, only this time instead of musical instruments in front of her, she would be awaiting presents from Santa in a story that we never would have imagined a year and half ago, of Santa’s Creative Delivery, a 2020 Christmas story.
I am still amazed at how Andrea coordinated everyone to deliver this project by the deadline. She is a hustler, a hard worker and exactly the person I look forward to execute more projects with! Thank you to everyone who bought this book and contributed to raising CND 4750!
The funds have been distributed as follows:
Mississauga- 425 to each
1. Eden Food for Change- Battleford
2. Eden Food for Change- Unity
3. Salvation Army Erin Mills Food Bank4. Seva Food Bank Malton
5. Seva Food Bank Wolfedale
6. St. Mary’s Food Bank Coopers
7. St. Mary’s Food Bank Dundas
8. St. Mary’s Food Bank Streetsville
9. The Compass
Brampton- 450 to each
10. St. Louise Outreach Centre of Peel
11. All Peoples Church
Thank you to all the people who contributed to this book, and who bought this book all the way from Hong Kong to Miami and of course mostly in Mississauga and the rest of Canada.
Thank you to Andrea for including me in this wonderful project, where everyone donated their time and skills to provide for those in need at a very cold and difficult time of the year.
