Staff and clients at Ishtar Women鈥檚 Resource Society have celebrated Christmas with victims of abuse for close to 50 years now.

The society is returning this year with its annual festivities, and Maureen Berlin, Ishtar鈥檚 executive director, shared many of the women attending the upcoming event would be celebrating their first Christmas away from an abusive relationship.

About 22 women will attend Ishtar鈥檚 Christmas celebration, and Berlin said about 80 per cent fall under that category 鈥� looking forward to 鈥渟afely and peacefully鈥� enjoying the festival.

鈥淯nfortunately, I hate to say how sad that statistics are but that is the truth.鈥�

The upcoming Christmas celebrations on Tuesday, Dec. 20, will also invite kids registered at their transition houses. Like every year, there will be Santa Claus attending the event and distributing gifts. In addition, the society will offer free hot chocolate and organize fun activities for children in attendance.

Ishtar is also seeking donations as part of its ongoing seventh-annual toy drive. The drive is a collaboration between Ishtar and Infinite Expansion Foundation, a non-profit working with drug-addicted youth. The collected toys will later be placed under the Christmas tree and distributed amongst the kids.

Berlin encouraged those interested in donating toys to reach Infinite at 604-446-2444

鈥淚 just really hope everyone realizes that we come from a country with so much and so plentiful that if we all share and try a bit harder to help other people, we will have a better society.鈥�

Finally, she thanked the community for donating generously in the past and supporting Ishtar鈥檚 Christmas event.

鈥淭he [Christmas celebration] means a lot to the women and kids. It would be a safe environment for them鈥� they will get gifts and opportunities to take photographs,鈥� said Berlin. 鈥淭he atmosphere would not be threatening for kids,鈥� she continued.

The event is not open to the public and is exclusive to registered clients at Ishtar.

For more information, people can visit .

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