MORANT BAY, St Thomas — With only a few days until Christmas, Celia Grant is putting the finishing touches to her annual holiday giveaway. She will start distribution in Cheswick, St Thomas, on December 24, 2022.

Since 2017 the YouTuber and make-up artist has been fuelling her passion for serving and helping those around her. That was the first year she handed out Christmas cakes and sorrel to individuals in and around her community, Cheswick.

“I started out with only four cakes and sorrel juices. I gave one of the cakes to a little girl who was admitted in the hospital, and the remaining to a few elderly persons,” Grant explained.

She used her money to buy the goodies she happily gave away.

In 2018 she wanted to do more so she convinced her three cousins, with whom she runs a YouTube channel, to come on board and support her efforts. It was all captured as a vlog, providing content for their channel as they spread Christmas cheer.

In 2019 Grant went even bigger and fulfilled her dream of including youngsters among those who benefit from the annual treat. She brought sponsors on board to purchase toys for the children in her community. For the third and fourth years of her philanthropic efforts she added a toy giveaway to her usual distribution of cakes and juices.

“It makes me feel happy when I do a good deed — and especially seeing how excited the recipients are,” Grant told the Jamaica Observer.

She told the story of how she met a 14-year-old girl who was a patient at the Princess Margaret Hospital for several months, when she first started. She regularly visited with treats to lift the girl’s spirit.

“The first year when I was giving away Christmas cakes I gave her one, however she told me she didn’t really like fruit cakes so I brought her cupcakes on my next visit,” Grant said.

Grant, who is now a mother, told the Observer that the joy she gets from encounters like these push her to keep the annual treat going, even though sometimes it has been challenging.

“Even when I am going through bad times, giving back gives me a sense of relief… It is such a great feeling!” declared Grant.

She has big plans of starting her own charity foundation. It is her goal to host an annual, signature Christmas event at which patrons will receive treats and gifts. For now, she continues to work on handing out modest treats as just the thought of being kind to others puts a huge smile on her face.