Michael McKillican, his wife Michelle and their 7-year-old daughter Kate will provide 12 free Christmas dinners including a turkey and all the fixings plus dessert to families in need in the Nanaimo, B.C. area. It’s the second year they have donated the dinners. McKillican has invited anyone who needs assistance or wishes to nominate a family to contact him at Sutton Group – West Coast Realty (Nanaimo) or via his Facebook page.
On Christmas Eve, they will load up their vehicle and deliver the turkey feasts to a dozen families.
“It teaches my daughter the act of giving and that life is not always easy; people need a leg up sometimes without strings attached,” says McKillican.
Last year a local school helped them find recipients who were reluctant to come forward to ask for the assistance. McKillican says he was thrilled that the teachers got into the spirit and raised $2,000 on their own to deliver even more free Christmas dinners.
The McKillican family also volunteers for 10 hours each year at Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes food bank. They clean the warehouse, load and sort food.
McKillican has donated his time and funds for numerous causes over the past 15 years. When he began his real estate career in 2006, he donated 10 per cent of his revenue to the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation for two years. In 2014, the hospital foundation’s Board of Directors invited him to become a director. He served on the board for four years, in addition to volunteering at numerous community events and fundraisers through 2017.
Most recently he joined the Aspen Grove Legacy Committee. “This is a volunteer board that will do long-term planning for the school,” says McKillican. “I wanted to be in the trenches getting my hands dirty.”
