Book Dumpling toy drive donates thousands of gifts to Montreal children in need

During the month of December, CBC will be working with Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre to showcase stories of people in our community who are making a difference for our "Make the Season Kind" campaign. For more stories and to learn more about this campaign, visit cbc.ca/bekindqc and make a donation here.

This holiday season, parents who rely on the Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre in Little Burgundy have a surprise coming.

Thanks to the Book Dumpling toy drive, thousands of gifts were donated to different community organizations in the city who support vulnerable families.

This year, those who take part in the adult development program at Tyndale will be presented with gifts to give to their children on Christmas.

Nathalie Miron, the program's director, said the majority of participants are people struggling to make ends meet. The six-month program helps them develop job skills and plan their re-entry into the workforce.

"It's the first time that we've had a donation for participants' children," said Miron.

"This is going to be quite a surprise and very helpful. It's going to mean a lot."

The toy drive is organized by Montrealer Andrea Borod, creator of Book Dumpling.

"Book Dumpling is something I came up with while teaching high school," she said. "People are always complaining that [kids] are not reading, but they're throwing books at them that aren't that relatable or interesting," she said.

"So I tried to match people based on what they like, not what I like."

She went on to turn her passion for book recommendations into an online site. Through social media, Borod raises money for charity, raising enough this year to buy 3,000 toys.

"I've actually had strangers sending me up to $100," she said. "It's really nice to focus on people that are positive during this time because there is good out there."

Borod said she wanted to support Tyndale because "they are really on the pulse of what's needed in the community."

"I met with Tyndale a few years back and I was really impressed with the people who work there, the passion they have and the community they've created."

For Borod, Dropping off the gifts to people who are struggling is what the season is all about.

"It's just so gratifying and so exciting for me to do it. So everybody wins," said Borod.

She wasn't alone in her efforts, as she recruited her five-year-old daughter to help out.

"Unfortunately my daughter is learning that not all the toys are for her but now that she's five, it's the first year that she finally understood that some kids don't have any toys at all, and she's really surprised by this."

At her house, Borod is trying to teach her daughter to give back instead of asking for things for herself.

"I think a lot of our kids have enough toys. It's not necessary to keep showering them with gifts," she said. "I think that instilling gratitude and showing them that they're lucky is important."