BARRIE -- With temperatures expected fall below freezing Sunday night, a local teenager is stepping up to help the city's most vulnerable.

On Sunday morning, 17-year-old Amelia Eisses donated bags and boxes filled with blankets, gloves and hand warmers, among other things, to the Busby Centre in Downtown Barrie.

"I just felt like this year I wanted to do something because it was a hard year for people (because of) COVID, and I just felt like giving back to the community," said Amelia.

Last month, she and her mother, Dawn Eisses, reached out to friends and family through Facebook after learning about the shelter's need through her aunt, who works at the centre.

"(She) told me stories about how it's really cold this year, and there's people that aren't able to stay in the hotel, so there is people that are living on the street, and it just made me upset."

Her mother says she couldn't be more proud of her daughter and what she's done for the centre.

"It's pretty amazing when your child, who is only 17, realizes that there are people that are less fortunate than us and can use a helping hand."

The Busby Centre says due to COVID-19, many of its fundraisers have been cancelled and subsequently reduced its funding.

"Honestly, to receive donations like this, it means we can continue to support the over one hundred people we see each day," says resource coordinator Candace Gordon.

"The continued support that we're seeing is really beneficial to those in need."