YPI and the Native Women’s Shelter

Posted on September 4, 2013 by admin

Claxton 10 had an eye-opening experience today at the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. We started our day learning a little bit about the women staying at the shelter, the history of the organization and the Aboriginal people. We then went outside to paint the back patio and fences, while a few members of the advisory did some gardening. Once everything was done, we went back inside to conclude our experience.

It is most definitely a worthwhile organization to volunteer at, especially considering they are always in need of some help as well as donations such as sports equipment, toiletries, toys, etc. – Lydia Safi and Sabrina Chan, Claxton 10

YPI – Share the Warmth

Posted on August 30, 2012 by admin

What does it feel like to help others? That was a question that our advisory, Harper 10, knew the answer to, but never actually understood until the day we went to Share the Warmth. It was there that we really began to feel good about ourselves. We knew that we were making a significant difference in other peoples lives, whether it was carrying boxes, tidying up a room, helping in a second hand store, or doing something as simple as mopping a floor.

For the two hours we were at Share the Warmth, we always had something to do. The staff even thanked us, saying that we had really helped them do things that they had kept putting off because they had other jobs to do first. We were able to see the people who went to Share the Warmth and how grateful they were. Performing community service at Share the Warmth has certainly made us aware that not everyone is as well off as we are and how we should help them as much as we can. – Adrien Perlinger ’14

A Welcome Experience at the Welcome Hall

Posted on September 2, 2011 by admin

Today we started our Youth Philanthropy Initiative by volunteering at a grass roots organization called Welcome Hall Mission. This organization affects the lives of many; the young, the old, families and new immigrants through their many services offered. This organization serves as a shelter, a food bank, a rehabilitation centre for men, women and youth, and as a counseling centre.

The grade 10 Woods House advisory visited this centre yesterday to give much needed help. We made food packaging for the people who will be coming in today, we inventoried school supplies from their recent ”back to school drive,” and we organized clothing that would later be given out to the clients of the Hall.

Working with such a great organization that helps so many people in our city was a fantastic experience. Knowing that the food we were distributing would go to kids and families who really needed it felt good. It was great to work with our advisory. As a whole I think we all realized how fortunate we are and that in a city like Montreal, there still is a great amount of poverty. –Alexa Dlouhy ’13

Students Compete to Support Local Charities

Posted on April 27, 2011 by admin

Last night, six groups of grade 10 LCC students made presentations on behalf of six grass roots charitable organizations in Montreal. Their purpose was to convince a panel of four judges that their chosen charity was deserving of a $5,000 donation provided by the Toskan Foundation through an active learning project called the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative. Students in grade 10 had been working since the starting week of school, learning about the need for charitable organizations, the role of philanthropy in our society and doing actual volunteer work at various charities. They then researched each organization to find out about their mission and history, impact on the communities that they serve, and the nature of the volunteer experience. Working in small groups, the students then put together intricate presentations with the sole purpose of convincing the judges that their respective organizations were deserving of the donation. The presentations took place in the Chamandy Auditorium.

Once again I was amazed at the abilities of the students and the good work that takes place all around Montreal. The students used their oral presentation skills to convey the passion that they felt for their chosen charities. They also seamlessly wove the use of technology, including still images, music and stirring videos to make their respective cases. All six groups were amazing, but the judges had to choose some winners.

Due to a generous donation from members of the Class of ‘85, the usual $5,000 donation from the Toskan Foundation was to be doubled. For the first time we would now be able to give $3,000 to the second place charity and an additional $2,000 to the third place finisher. It is really hard to talk about “winners” because all of the groups did an exceptional job. One day we hope to be able to give donations to any group that makes it to the finals.

Congratulations to all of the students, and a special nod goes out to Centre Philou, which took away the $5,000 donation from the Toskan Foundation, Generations which will receive $3,000 and Share the Warmth which will receive the $2,000 donation, both of which come courtesy of the Class of ‘85. –Patrick Peotto, Assistant Head – Advancement

This Year’s YPI Finalists:

Taylor Hodhod, Yvonne Hercun & Gabby Rappaport (Centre Philou)
Alix Faraggi & Alex Sinor (Generations Foundation)
Alexa Weiser, Helene Osterman & Valerie Rivest (Share the Warmth)
Christie Heseltine, Chelsea Voronoff & Chloe Stroll (Welcome Hall Mission)
Emily Tiberi, Olivia Auclair & Alexandra Masella (The Friendship Circle)
Julian Miller, Max Rabinovitch & Greg Wainberg (NDG Food Depot)

YPI Brings Volunteerism to Life for LCC Students

Posted on September 27, 2010 by admin

The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative is a great opportunity for grade 10 students to reach out into the community and make an impact in so many ways. Over the course of the school year, students divide themselves into small teams and choose a small, local, grassroots organization. Each team must prepare a presentation that outlines the organization’s mission, programs, impact on the community, and they must try to prove why their organization is worthy of the $5,000 prize offered by the Toskan Foundation. Although it may not seem that significant, the prize money can make a huge difference for these organizations. Event though they are all worthy of receiving the financial assistance, only one can be chosen as the winner in May.

However, money is not the only factor that determines the impact that students can have on the organization that they choose. In fact, the simple act of volunteerism—only five required hours of service to each organization—makes such a difference because they can always use a helping hand. Year after year though, students make the personal choice to spend more than just the minimum required hours volunteering at their organization because they realize how much their efforts mean.

My personal YPI experience was so rewarding, not only because my group won the prize, but also because we developed such a great relationship with the Executive Director Adrian Bercovici and his wife Natalie from Generations Foundation. They appreciated our help so much, and supported us every step of the way through the preparation of our presentation, offering all of the information and resources that we needed to demonstrate their organization’s importance.

YPI is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that teaches students the importance of volunteerism, and will certainly remain an important aspect of the grade 10 curriculum for many years to come.—Cory Oringer ’11 (grade 11)