An Overwhelming Response

Less than three weeks ago, when I approached the Pauline Johnson PAC and Principal David Langmuir about organizing a clothing and snack drive for some of Vancouver's inner city schools, I didn't know what to expect.

I hoped the Parent Advisory Committee and the administration would support the idea. And then, when they enthusiastically did, I hoped there would be enough of a response from parents at the school to make the whole thing worthwhile.

Although I knew Pauline Johnson's parents have a history of being compassionate and generous, I had nightmares that the donations would be scarce. So scarce that I would have to call one of the three schools on our donation list and apologize to them because we didn't receive enough donations to give anything to their school. Sometimes, I imagined having to call more than one of them to apologize.

It turns out these fears were misplaced. What I really should have been worried about was not having enough volunteers to handle the hundreds of donations that rolled into the school after the Thanksgiving weekend.

Not only did parents at Pauline Johnson respond very generously in very little time, but donations were also made by families in North Vancouver, Point Grey, Burnaby, Abbotsford and, I suspect, other communities across the Lower Mainland.

Last Wednesday, when a small group of volunteers arrived at the school to sort the donations, we were faced with a small hill of garbage bags and boxes containing a mind-boggling assortment of clothing and other items.

Over the next several hours, the volunteers organized the clothes by type, plucking out items that were dirty, damaged, or just plain inappropriate, and organizing everything into bags and boxes labelled for the schools.

Six hours later, the small hill of donations had been sorted and organized as follows:

• 3 boxes of socks and tights
• 3 small bags of underwear
• 3 boxes of hats, gloves, and scarves
• 3 large bags of girls' coats
• 3 large bags of boys' coats
• 1 large bag of snowsuits (these went to Strathcona for its ski program)
• 1 bag of girls' raincoats (these went to Sir William MacDonald, in response to a special request for these items)
• 1 bag of boys' raincoats (these went to Sir William MacDonald, in response to a special request for these items)
• 3 boxes of rain boots (these went to Sir William MacDonald, in response to a special request for these items)
• 3 boxes of boys' boots 
• 3 boxes of girls' boots
• 3 bags of boys' everyday shoes
• 3 bags of girls' everyday shoes
• 3 bags of boys' running shoes
• 3 bags of girls' running shoes
• 3 large bags of boys' sweaters and fleeces
• 3 large bags of girls' sweaters and fleeces
• 3 large bags of boys' shirts
• 3 large bags of girls' shirts
• 3 large bags of boys' pants
• 3 large bags of girls' pants
• 3 bags of skirts and dresses
• a wide assortment of board games (these went to Strathcona, in response to a special request for these items)
• a wide assortment of sporting goods, including skis, helmets, shin pads, skates, and even a snowboard (these went to Strathcona, in response to a special request for these items)
• 1 large box and 2 medium bags of snacks
• 1 bag of Halloween costumes
• 1 bag of belts and hats
• 1 bag of backpacks and purses
• 1 small box of blankets

On Thursday, a couple of volunteers washed some items that needed some extra TLC, and on Friday, the donations were squished into three vans and delivered to the three Eastside schools.

I can't tell you how good it felt to contact the principals ahead of time to warn them to expect a larger quantity of donations than anticipated.

Thank you to everyone for understanding the need, opening your hearts and closets, and giving such an amazing array of clean, good quality, new and gently used items. I have no doubt that your generosity will help dozens, if not hundreds, of families in need.

I hope we can do it again next year.

The Clothing Drive in Photos

Donations outside the Pauline Johnson school on Wednesday.

The donations piled in the centre of the gym, waiting to be sorted.

Small rainboots for Sir William MacDonald.

A wide assortment of running shoes, boots and shoes were donated. Some were too worn to be usable, others were in brand-new condition.

Josh surveys the art room full of donations waiting to go to the schools.

Eileen's van full of donations.

Josh's van full of donations.

Brodie and his van full of donations.

Sir William MacDonald's dramatic entrance hints at the importance of art and culture at the school.

Eileen sorts some of the donations for Sir William MacDonald.

Gina has been giving Sir William MacDonald students warm meals for 20 years. She made us some wicked cappuccinos. Grazie, Gina!

Lord Strathcona Community Elementary is the oldest elementary school in Vancouver. It is also home to a branch of the Vancouver Public Library.

Students at Strathcona hauled the donations into their school.

Sometimes it was a two-person job.

Queen Alexandra runs a KidsSafe program where vulnerable students can go before and after school, and during school breaks, for food, fun, and friendship. Students from neighbouring schools are bussed here as well. For more info, visit:http://www.kidsafe.ca/

Principal Cheryll Mathews has her photo taken with Nadine, Josh, Brodie and the donations inside Queen Alexandra.

Thank Yous

This clothing and snack drive was successful because hundreds of people took the time to make it happen.
 
Thank you to the Pauline Johnson PAC for your rapid and enthusiastic support and for wanting to explore what else the PJ community can do beyond the clothing drive. (I'd especially like to thank Monica Crowe, Victoria Mendes, Susan Piercey, and Connie Hart from the PAC for meeting with me, and Eileen Huster for answering my many emails).

Principal David Langmuir gave this initiative his immediate support and fielded lots of logistical questions, as did the rest of the administrative staff who watched (in delight or dismay, I'm not sure which) as the hallway outside of the office, and then the gym, and then the art room, became repositories for donations.

Thank you to all of the Pauline Johnson teachers for supporting this drive and promoting it in your classrooms and beyond. Thank you to PJ Kids Club for doing the same.

Thank you to all of the PJ families who took the time to find, wash, and deliver the hundreds of items that made this clothing drive so successful. (Here I'd like to add an extra big thank you to the parents who went out and bought new underwear, socks, and boxes of snacks--these items were urgently needed and your extra efforts are so very appreciated!)

I was deeply touched that there were families and friends outside of the Pauline Johnson community who heard about the drive and decided to help out by donating clothing and food. This was completely unexpected and utterly amazing. I'd like to name you all here, but I'm afraid I'll leave people out, so I won't dare.

I'd also like to add a special thanks to the following individuals:
 
Eileen Huster, PAC chair, picked up and stored donations at her home every day until there were too many to fit into her van. She also answered emails, sorted clothes, and helped deliver the items to the schools.

Kathleen Akins spent hours sorting clothes and then spent another day leashed to her washing machine and dryer, cleaning dozens of good quality jackets and other items that needed extra TLC.

Monica Crowe and her daughter Jackie, Debbie Pudritz and her daughter Sarah, Susan Piercey, Lilla Pedersen, and Vincent helped to sort the mountain of donations into manageable piles. Lillian Ang walked past the gym, saw what was happening, rolled up her sleeves and pitched in. Enrico Samonte, helped clean up our mess and lifted our spirits.

Brodie Pedersen took a day off work to lend us his van and drive the clothes downtown.

Josh Pasnak spread the word, found boxes, helped sort clothes, picked up donations, took a day off work and borrowed his dad's van (thanks Allen!) to help deliver clothes to the schools, dropped off the surplus donations at various worthy organizations, and then recycled the cardboard boxes and leftover plastic bags when all was said and done. You, sir, are amazing.

The principals and some staff members at Sir William MacDonald, Lord Strathcona, and Queen Alexandra warmly accepted the donations and introduced us to their schools and students. It was clear that all of the schools are unique and rich in what they offer their students and the wider community—I think we could learn a lot from them. Thank you Joan Storlund (MacDonald), Margaret Jorgensen (Strathcona), and Cheryll Matthews (Queen Alexandra) for welcoming us in and showing us around.

Lastly, thank you to the students and staff at Strathcona and Queen Alexandra for exuberantly carrying in the donations for us, and to Willie and Gina at Sir William MacDonald for letting us in and then fortifying us with cappuccinos and cookies.

If I missed anyone here, I'm sorry, please know your efforts were recognized at the time and appreciated.

Six Steps for a Successful Snack and Clothing Drive

With the Thanksgiving long weekend coming up, this is a great time for families to think about what we have to be grateful for and to take simple steps to help out others in our community.

Participating in the Pauline Johnson Clothing and Snack Drive is easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Go through your child's old clothing and shoes.
2. Pick out items that are in good repair (the rest can go to another charity for rag making).
3. Ask your friends if they also have clothing and shoes they would like to donate.
4. Wash the items.
5. Buy peanut-free snacks, socks and/or underwear for kids (sizes 5 - 12).
6. Drop the snacks and clothes off in the collection bins at Pauline Johnson by Wednesday, October 12. 

That's it.

Request list for clothing and snack drive

Pauline Johnson is having a clothing and snack drive to provide food and clothing to three inner city schools: Sir William MacDonald Elementary, Strathcona Elementary, and Queen Alexandra Elementary.

The schools have identified these items as being in urgent need:

• peanut-free snacks
• rain gear
• rain boots
• socks (lots!)
• jackets
• pants
• boy's underwear
• girls underwear
• running shoes
• winter clothes

The schools would also appreciate donations of the following items for their extra-curricular programs:

• shin pads (for soccer)
• knee pads (for volleyball)
• board games (for rainy days)
• ukeleles (for a music program)
• ski gear (so kids can participate in donated ski lessons)

Please bring donations of snacks, new and clean used clothing to Pauline Johnson by Wednesday, October 12. There will be donation bins near the office.

Please do not bring adult clothes or summer clothes at this time.


For more information email: nadine [at] blackswanservices [dot] com.

Origins of the Clothing and Snack Drive

Just over a week ago, I posted on Facebook that "You know the West Vancouver stereotypes are true when your child's fun lunch program includes ingredients like free-range chicken and brie cheese."

A few hours later, a friend commented on the post, writing, "Geez. Just before I read this, I read a DTES elementary teacher's request on Facebook for children's socks, shoes and snacks for kids that don't have these things on a daily basis. Seymour Elementary. The glaring inequality in our city frustrates me quite often."

It frustrates me too. And as soon as I read his comment, I knew I wanted to do something about it. The next morning, as I was driving to work, I heard an interview on the radio with Carrie Gelson, the teacher who had made the request, whose Facebook posting about her school's needs had since gone viral.

Carrie described trying to teach children who come to school hungry, without proper shoes, or socks. Children who sometimes burst into tears in the middle of class and have to be sent to the cloakroom, because she can't stop teaching the other students to help the one who is having a meltdown. She pleaded for Vancouverites to donate clothes, food, and their time as art therapists and counsellors to help these kids.

The response she got was overwhelming. Over the next few days, individuals were walking into Seymour Elementary with cheques for $1000 and donations of food, clothing, and time. Clearly, her story touched the hearts of many people across the city.

By then, I had contacted the Pauline Johnson PAC and Principal David Langmuir to see if they would support Pauline Johnson hosting a clothing and snack drive. Not surprisingly, given Pauline Johnson's long tradition of social responsibility, they were enthusiastic in their support.

As Seymour Elementary was being flooded with donations, I contacted three other inner-city elementary schools to see what their needs were.

Like Seymour Elementary, the needs of students at these schools are staggering. Many students come to school to get breakfast, but are hungry again by afternoon. Kindergarteners and grade one students need class sets of rain jackets and rain boots so they can all go outside and play when its raining. Kids of all ages don't have socks or underwear, pants and warm shirts, jackets, hats and gloves to keep them warm.

These schools receive offers by volunteers to lead music and sports programs, but many of the students don't have the instruments and the sports equipment needed to participate in them. For example, Lord Strathcona has been invited to give their students ski lessons—the problem is the kids don't have proper ski clothes. A musician would like to teach students at Sir William MacDonald how to play the guitar, or ukelele, but the school doesn't have the resources to buy ukeleles.

A clothing and snack drive is a small step in helping these students get through the winter with food in their bellies and warm clothes on their backs. It doesn't really address the more systemic social problems that make it possible for some kids to go to school without a lunch, while across the Lions Gate Bridge other students have brie-and-ham sandwiches for lunch. But it's a start.
 
Some more background:

Cary Gelson's original letter: http://www.theprovince.com/columnists/Full+text+Carrie+Gelson+letter+community/5464503/story.html

Carrie Gelson's thank you to the citizens of Vancouver: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2011/09/30/seymour-teacher-carrie-gelson-says-thanks/

While there are concerns about the methodology and fairness of the Fraser Institute's controversial "school report cards" they do an offer an interesting snapshot of our school system.
The difference in academic ranking between Pauline Johnson and most of Vancouver's inner city schools is shocking. As is the fact that the average household income of families at Pauline Johnson is $145,000, while the average income for parents at Lord Strathcona elementary is less than $23,000. http://britishcolumbia.compareschoolrankings.org/elementary/Default.aspx