Riverside’s GIVE4GOOD has had a busy year so far. The club is an off shoot of the successful MOVE4MANA club, with many of the same students, along with new students, participating in many charitable activities. But while MOVE4MANA focused on helping people internationally, GIVE4GOOD focuses on helping those in need in the Port Coquitlam community.
GIVE4GOOD is led by teacher sponsors Claudia Durand and Kathy Shong, but students take the lead in a lot of the projects: KidSport is led by grade 12 Riverside student Olivia Columbo; project ‘Beyond Hello’ is led by grade 11 Riverside student Megan Wong; and ‘New Beginnings Backpacks’ is led by grade 12 Riverside student Jannea Pregler.
KidSport is a Canadian non-profit organization which assists families who cannot afford the cost of sport fees and equipment, and GIVE4GOOD is helping KidSport with their goal. “Before Spring Break, we had two special events, a bubble tea fundraiser and also a sports equipment drive for a full week at Riverside,” said Durand. “This equipment will be donated to the KidSport Equipment Sale on Saturday, April 22, 23.” The equipment sale was an event that anyone could volunteer for, such as the set up on Friday and the take-down on Saturday, April 23.
Sports is an important aspect to life for Columbo. “Playing sports is such a passionate thing for people because it has saved so many people from getting into really dark/bad places, and helped them make connections. So being able to help those who can’t afford to play sports is like, the happiest thing ever,” said Columbo who along with her father, Riverside teacher Rob Colombo have been organizing the fundraiser at Riverside for many years.
Another initiative GIVE4GOOD is focusing on is project ‘Beyond Hello,’ which aims to connect the un-housed and struggling people in the community with family members that they may have lost contact with. “This initiative was inspired by a Maple Ridge teacher, Kristi Blakeway, author of the book Beyond Hello, who along with her students wanted reconnect a [unhoused] man with his family,” said Wong. The cards that GIVE4GOOD members have made has original artwork and messages, which will given to the un-housed to in turn forward them to the friends and family they have lost contact with. “We’ll get their name, and as much information about that person as we possibly can, and then we’re going to do all the searching on the internet, as much as we possibly can to find the person that our [un-housed] friend wants to connect to,” said Columbo. The letters will then get mailed once the GIVE4GOOD members have located the lost contact. “There have been many heart-warming success stories where the [un-housed] have been reunited with their loved ones,” said Durand.
‘New Beginnings’ backpacks initiative, led by Pregler, has the goal of providing nutritious foods to students whose family struggle with the cost. The idea was originally inspired from Pregler’s participation in the Girl Guide unit, The Rangers, and she brought the idea to GIVE4GOOD to be continued. An original fundraising goal of 500 dollars successfully resulted in 800 dollars, which goes to purchase non-perishables such as canned chicken, canned tuna, and gift cards. The initiative was completed in January and early February of 2022, with 20 backpacks full of food and other items, and inspirational cards distributed to Central Elementary students.
Seeing the impact their actions brought to the communities is something that Columbo, Wong, Pregler treasure. “It is fun and rewarding to do it more community focused initiatives because you get to see the actual impact it has,” said Pregler. The connections they made with each other, and the community are something that the three believe to be an important part in joining the club. “We’re all trying to get to one goal – helping others – and I think we reached that goal. It’ll feel like all the work that we’ve put in, and all the time and effort was worth it.”
Anyone is welcome to join GIVE4GOOD at anytime. The group meets every Thursday at lunch in room 111.
