How a community saved Christmas for young family robbed of presents

KELOWNA – The Beston family Christmas tree is surrounded by presents again, thanks to an outpouring of support from the community.

Jason and Jenny Beston, the parents of a family that was robbed of cherished personal items and presents just days before Christmas, say they have been overwhelmed with gifts from the community over the last couple days.

“We’re just so blown away,” Jason Beston says. “It’s totally unexpected.”

Since Infonews.ca brought you their story, they have received dozens of wrapped Christmas presents from strangers, friends and co-workers. Nurses and staff of the Central Okanagan Hospice Association donated over $1,000 worth of presents and cash and a locally-run non-profit called Mamas for Mamas have also collected presents they plan to drop off Christmas eve.

“We support moms of all backgrounds who have any sort of need,” says Mamas for Mamas founder Shannon Christensen. “When we saw the story we saw a very obvious need that we could support in terms of getting them back on their feet after the terrible break in. We’re all about helping mamas when they’re down and doing whatever we can to help.”

Jason, an HVAC service tech with Trane, also received gifts from co-workers, including a replacement for the Xbox video game console that was taken. The family also got a check for $516 from his union Local 516.

“It’s pretty amazing that there are so many people who care,” he says. “It’s turned a really bad situation into a Christmas we will never forget. We want to say just a big thank you to everyone who helped make that happen."

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.