London attack victim Chrissy Archibald's legacy of generosity

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Chrissy ArchibaldImage source, Reuters
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Chrissy Archibald was the first person confirmed killed in the London Bridge attack

An appeal by the family of a Canadian woman killed in the London Bridge attacks for people to honour her memory has led to a rise in donations to charities.

Groups in Calgary, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto say they have received cash and offers of help from volunteers.

Christine Archibald, 30, was a dedicated charity worker.

The hashtags #chrissysentme and #chrissysentyou on Twitter have now gained worldwide attention.

"Each and every time a donation is made, people will be thinking about her, and the fact that she had dedicated her career to working with the homeless," the head of an Ottawa charity for homeless and at-risk youths told CBC.

Ms Archibald, who worked in a homeless shelter until she moved to Europe, has been described as a kind-hearted person who cared deeply about her work with people struggling with addiction and homelessness.

Her family urged people to remember her by volunteering or donating to their local homeless shelters.

"Tell them Chrissy sent you," the Archibald family said in a statement.

Image source, Twitter/@alex8ra
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People are donating to shelters and using #chrissysentme

The two beneficiaries of Christine Archibald's Charity Fund are the Alpha House Society, where she worked before relocating to Europe, and the United Way, which helps vulnerable people.

But other charities that work with the homeless in Canada have also received donations.

"It's kind of ironic because the terrorist attack was meant to spread fear and it was meant to take lives and make people feel unsafe - but what Chrissy's example and what Chrissy's family is doing is spreading goodness, it's making people feel safe, and ultimately, saving lives. It's mind-blowing," Union Gospel Mission spokesman Jeremy Hunka told The Province in Vancouver.

Meanwhile, tributes to the social worker continue to pour in.

The Calgary-based Alpha House Society said in a statement: "Chrissy was a bright light to many" as were her "generosity, kind spirit and huge heart for her work in responding to issues of addictions and homelessness".

Ms Archibald died in the arms of her fiance, Tyler Ferguson, on London Bridge. He and his family said they plan to start a charity foundation in her name, CBC reported.

Image source, AFP
Image caption,
Ms Archibald died in the arms of her fiance on London Bridge, where floral tributes to the victims have been laid

The three attackers drove into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in the nearby Borough Market. They were eventually shot dead by police.

Seven people were killed in the terror attack and 48 people were injured, 18 critically. Ms Archibald was the first person to be named as killed.

She was born and raised in the Canadian province of British Columbia before moving to the city of Calgary, Alberta. More recently she had been living in the Netherlands with Mr Ferguson.

Her family said in a statement they are grieving for their "beautiful, loving daughter and sister".

The statement adds: "She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected. She lived this belief working in a shelter for the homeless until she moved to Europe to be with her fiance. She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said over the weekend he was "heartbroken" that a Canadian national had been among those killed.