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Montreal-area sisters gather, distribute donations in effort to help city’s homeless

Click to play video: 'Montreal sisters embody the spirit of giving'
Montreal sisters embody the spirit of giving
WATCH: Two Montreal-area sisters raised money and assembled special bags that they distributed to the city’s homeless on Saturday. Global’s Felicia Parrillo has more. – Dec 8, 2018

On Saturday, Sara Capobianco riffled through dozens of bags, trying to find a pair of boots that would fit.

She, along with her friends and family, were in downtown Montreal, giving away supplies to those who need them most.

“We saw on the news that there was a dog that died in the arms of his owner, in the cold weather,” said Sara’s sister, Samantha Capobianco, “and me and my sister, we’re avid animals lovers, so we wanted to find some solution to help out.”

READ MORE: Bimonthly, volunteer-run street buffet helps Montreal’s homeless get back on their feet

Together, the sisters brainstormed ways they could help homeless people get through the winter.

WATCH: How big is Montreal’s homeless population?

Click to play video: 'How big is Montreal’s homeless population?'
How big is Montreal’s homeless population?

They started putting together gift bags and getting the word out out on different Facebook community groups, in an effort to gather donations.

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“It went from zero to 100 within, I would say, a week and a half,” said Sara. “It’s just something that fills our hearts to make other people happy.”

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Altogether, the sisters have raised around $5,000.

READ MORE: West Island woman crochets plastic bags into mats for homeless

Plus, they put together around 50 bags of supplies filled with donated clothing, sleeping equipment and food.

On Saturday, they roamed the streets, giving it all away.

READ MORE: Record-breaking cold snap leaves Montreal shelters scrambling

“For them, just the look on their faces when we’re telling them what’s inside — there’s nothing in the world I think that can give you that,” said West Island resident Claudia Giovanniello.

The giveaway wasn’t a one-time thing. The sisters are already planning to hand out an even bigger batch of donations in the new year.

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