Our plan
Between Friends is a charitable organization that holds two book and clothing drives per year. The Goods are transported to some of the most remote First Nations Communities in Ontario. the clothes and toys are donated by the school and the child care families and retail merchants in the area. books come from some local Libraries and Publishers. The boxes tape shipping labels (for up to 800 boxes) and all shipping costs are also donated, as is storage and transportation. This is the 10th year this organization has been operating and giving the children a sense of 'giving back' to the community at an early age. the whole school is involved in sorting, cleaning, packing all the goods and then loading them onto waiting transport trucks. It is quite the exciting operation to watch happen! The Drives are in Spring and Fall, but we also get those horrible phone calls at other times where a fire or some other tragedy has literally destroyed the lives of people. So we also put together Emergency Drives. The poverty in these very remote locations, is unbelievable, the clothing is needed, but so are the books, as one school wrote to us about having to close their library due to space limitations. Some of these places are only accessible via bush plane. how could we, or anyone, ignore the initial call when it came, 10 years ago, looking for clothing for these children. The Call came from the Daughter of the Director of the Child Care Centre. She was working in one of these remote communities and called her mother looking for help. The whole thing grew from there. What is important, is that this whole thing is being driven by the children.
What we did
We have, this year, a grant covering the salary of a full time fund raiser and hope to become independent over the next few years. We have also won several awards over the years for 'innovative fundraising initiatives" and been visited by important supporters and politicians. I am trying to find other sources of funding wherever i can at the stage. The community has been very supportive...hey grass roots movements are 'in'
Our results
we have some incredible pictures and letters from the First Nation's Communities involved with the project, and the kids at the school here in Thornhill are learning about just how valuable it is to be charitable. And just how good it feels to share with others. The teachers, Principal, Child Care Workers along with students and any politicians that happen to come by have a day of memories to take home with them. A day few will ever forget. The feeling when the trucks roll out is like nothing in the world, it is exhaustion but GOOD exhaustion.
fpluchhieree
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