Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik students JL Tagoona, left, Kyla Kent, Tagalik Eccles, Jayda Pilakapsi and Precious Maningas show some of the toques they distributed in the community after a successful clothes drive in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

RANKIN INLET
A number of children are a little warmer in Rankin Inlet this winter thanks to the efforts of a group of students at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik.

Grade 12 student Tagalik Eccles has organized a winter clothes drive for the past two years in Rankin.

Eccles, 17, said she had to do something to help when she noticed students walking to school without wind pants this past year.

She said it bothered her to know there were people, especially children, trying to get through a Rankin winter without proper clothing.

"I asked students in my aulajaaqtut class to help me and it went from there," said Eccles.

"We had about 20 students help out with the clothes drive this year. I posted on Facebook sites to let people know I could pick up anything they could

donate.

"We also had boxes inside the school and we had a lot of items donated."

Eccles said about half a classroom was packed with various winter clothing.

She said about 30 people came through the doors during the first 10 minutes they were handing-out items at the community hall on Nov. 19, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

"We didn't have any limit on how much a person could leave with. They could take whatever they needed.

"Everything went pretty fast but the wind pants were what a lot of people went for right away."

The volunteer students went through the donated clothes to remove any that weren't in good enough shape to distribute.

Eccles wants to organize the drive for a third year in 2016, even though she plans to be at a post-secondary school after finishing Grade 12.

She said there's definitely a need for these types of projects in Rankin.

"People keep asking me if I'm going to do another one, and there was a lot of thanks and people telling me they appreciated it when they picked up the clothing.

"If I'm away at school next year, I might be able to do it when I'm home for Christmas break.

"I had parents tell me at least their kids weren't going to be cold this winter, and they didn't know what they would have done without this.

"It makes everything worth it when you hear that."