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Fakhri, a high school student at St Patrick’s High School, helped organize the group of eight young Muslim men and women who set out to walk the streets of downtown Ottawa to give away bags of winter hats, gloves and socks to the city homeless.

But they never dreamed they would hand out nearly all of the 55 bags at their first stop outside the Ottawa Mission. The handful of men standing outside got the first few bags and as the students headed towards Rideau Street to distribute the rest, they were quickly surrounded by men streaming out of the mission doors curious to see what was wrapped in those packages.

“I never expected that,” said Fakhri.

“We could have done more bags but this was our first time out and we didn’t have an idea of what we should expect. “But I felt it was successful. It’s all about that smile you can bring to a needy person while bringing a sense of community, holiday season and Christmas. That’s what we were aiming for,”

“That’s awesome, thanks,” said Carlos DeAngelies, who took one of the bags. He said Ottawans are generous and “so good-hearted.” He said he’s already had people bring him bags of toiletries, clothes, socks, gloves and $5 Tim Horton coffee cards.

A little further down the street, Dave Soulliere said he was happy to get the bag but he really didn’t need socks.

“I have a lot of socks. It’s like spring here so I didn’t really need them. But,” he said, “I take everything.”

Diana Billings of the Calvary Pentecostal Church said Saturday’s clothing donation at the mission was the second one for youth group. Both times, they filled backpacks full of clothes and toiletries.

“We talk about the importance of giving with them and how it is not about us. … so to do that practically we get them out there to give things out,” she said.

But 67-year-old Bryon Ohrling, who just moved to Ottawa from Winnipeg, took a cookie and refused anything else.

“If you do anything for me, kids, pray for me. My name is Bryon and pray some doors open up for me.”

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Ottawa Citizen

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Ottawa Citizen

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Ottawa Citizen

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Ottawa Citizen

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Ottawa Citizen

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Ottawa Citizen