SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNFIE
A group of Grade 4 and 5 students from J.H. Sissons School are collecting funds and craft supplies for clients of the Dene Ko day shelter. So far, the group has raised close to $500 and donors have even dropped off musical instruments for day shelter clients to use at the downtown drop-in centre.
The entire Grade 6 class at Tusarvik School in Repulse Bay celebrate as they prepare to stuff in the final bags to fill a Sea-Can transport container with collected pop cans for the Co-op challenge this past month. - photo courtesy of Maren Roberts
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The idea started in December, when Grade 4 student Anna Pontin approached principal Paul Bennett and asked if there was anything they could do to help the homeless. Pontin decided to approach Bennett after reading an article in Owl Magazine detailing the efforts of Hannah Taylor -- a Canadian youth who started the Ladybug Foundation — in helping the homeless.
"I told her she would need a team of people to help and that team should have different strengths," said Bennett. "I also told her there were a lot of issues to go over and it would be a good idea to talk to other people."
After the winter break, Pontin got together with five more students, Matthew Weibe, Jake Kotaska, Arjun Budgell, Kea Furniss and Krianna Strobridge.
"We invited Mayor Mark Heyck in to explain a little bit about the issues in Yellowknife," said Bennett.
"The kids kept on absorbing everything he was saying."
Weibe was really impressed when the mayor came to talk to them.
"He's like the most famous person in the NWT," he said.
The students took the mayor's advice to consult John Howard Society executive director Lydia Bardak, whose organization runs the day shelter.
"The mayor said we should start small but I had all these grandiose ideas," said Pontin.
After talking to Bardak, the group decided to focus their efforts on the day shelter. Bennett recommended the group ask what was needed and Bardak said arts and crafts supplies, such as beads, hide and fabric, would help give the users of the day shelter something to do.
"She told us that a lot of them don't have money for gifts and if they could make things they could either sell them or give them to friends and family," said Pontin. "They feel useless and this can make people feel productive."
The group has also been collecting musical instruments and talking to other classes in the school about their efforts. The kindergarten class has been collecting socks and items to drop off at the Yellowknife Co-op for the YK Food Bank. Soon, they'll also be baking fresh bread for the shelter.
