Loyalist College Child and Youth Care students Mackenzie Ward and Jessica Pluard proudly donate over $600 to the Adopt-A-Child program. Photo by Felicia Massey.
BELLEVILLE – Loyalist child and youth care students Mackenzie Ward and Jessica Pluard spent a month collecting cans and bottles to raise money for the Adopt-A-Child program.
Every Monday throughout November, they would volunteer their evening going around the residence buildings collecting empties.
They received lots of help from friends and family, who came with trucks full of empties in support.
At 10 cents a can, their first goal of $100 was reached within the first week of fundraising.
The girls were shocked when they surpassed their second goal of $500.
“I feel accomplished,” said Pluard looking to Ward. ”
Rosie Reid, professor in the child and youth care program, says she is proud of Ward and Pluard for their charitable efforts.
“When learners like these two take on an assignment they make it something that’s their own, and go way above and beyond requirements. It inspires me as faculty to do more, do better and keep going,” she told her students. “and I know you’re going to do that in your career too.”
Ward says there were plenty of community groups to consider when choosing where to raise money for.
“We looked around at different websites and looked for places in the area that gave warm winter clothing to kids, and that’s when we found the Adopt-A-Child Program.”
The Adopt-A-Child Program aims to collect money and clothing donations, equipping families and children in need in Picton, Centre Hastings, Sterling, Marmora and other areas with warm clothes during the winter season.
“The program is fully donation-funded and it’s only run by volunteers. All the money that we collect from the community goes straight back into the program – to buy the snowsuits (and) snow boots,” said Detective Const. Erin McAdam from the Belleville Police Service.
This is Const. McAdam’s first year running the Adopt-A-Child program, and she says it feels good to “help as many people as we can.”
Donations like Ward and Pluard’s help 800-1,000 children each year have warm clothing for the winter months.
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