Canadians seek to raise awareness about giving back
Published:Monday | April 15, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer
Young persons and volunteerism are not necessarily synonymous in today's society, but the visit by students from the Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Canada recently to carry out projects at the centres of St Patrick's Foundation, easily proves that it is still alive and well.
According to Marie Hulse, head of the group comprising four staff and 18 students, the partnership started in 2004 on a biennial basis and then increased to yearly in 2008, yielding a mutually beneficial relationship that is now a mission which offers love, support and resources to improving the quality of life of residents and enhancing the teaching skills at Riverton and Callaloo Mews Early Childhood Centre.
making a difference
'Our aim is to raise awareness about giving back to your community, and the students; also use the opportunity, when they get back, to discuss the visit and what other actions could be taken to improve the situation of the communities," she said
She noted that the living and working conditions of the communities and centres have improved considerably. In addition, the teaching and classroom management skills being applied had positively impacted staff and students' development.
projects undertaken
Some of the projects undertaken were visiting the residents of the St Monica's Home for the Aged, assisting with one-on-one teaching and mentoring to the children at Riverton Mews Early Childhood Centre, donating medical supplies, wheelchairs and a walker. Two houses were built in Ham Walk, one for a woman who has three children and the other a one-bedroom for an elderly person who has been a resident of that community since 2007. A partnership with Food for the Poor will see the beneficiaries receiving furniture and a septic tank.
Their efforts are supported and funded by money drives, church tithes and the Archdiocese of Kingston, Ontario. Hulse stated that more funds should be directed to teacher training, one-on-one coaching for remedial students and teacher assistants in the classroom to ensure a greater impact on students with varying levels of learning disabilities.