A number of businesses are encouraging pyjamas at work, or at least collecting them.

Over the month of November, Genesis House sets up donation boxes where people can bring pyjamas for all ages.

"We have had a lot of interest, not only from the community dropping off at libraries, but we've had different businesses approach us," says Executive Director, Ang Braun.

Ang Braun.

She says about 10 shelters from the province got together a few years ago to brainstorm what needs they are all seeing in their communities, and pyjamas are something they all noted. As well, it gives a good idea of how many people are using the resources at the shelter, so people donating can see the impact of every inch of support.

"We are looking for 65 pairs of women's pyjamas and about 80 pairs of kids pyjamas because that's the number of people that we see in the shelter every year."

This is roughly the third year of collecting pyjama donations, and Braun says the demand is growing every year.

"The messaging that we are able to share with the families that we serve is that the community is thinking about you . . . the community is donating them to us to share with you because they care about what happens to you," she adds.

Braun says that the community has a great attitude about putting the needs of others before their own, especially during the season of giving.

They also see a number of these donations continuing through December and welcome them. "It's amazing the number of families that come in, almost every time somebody has a birthday in there . . . so it always gets to be another gift, and it's so nice to be able to give something new."

She does note that they do take second-hand pyjamas, but it is a wonderful feeling to give someone that they may not be able to buy new on a regular basis. It also helps the shelter save funding for resources they don't receive through donations and keep up their programming.