Hope for the Homeless at Camp Hope
Grade nine students from Mountain Park Middle School finished off the school year with a special kind of camp out they called "Camp Hope." The students spent the day volunteering and learning about homelessness at six Calgary agencies including The Mustard Seed. At the end of the day, they returned to the schoolyard to decorate their cardboard "homes" for the night with messages of hope and to get comfortable. The students collected pledges from local businesses to raise funds for the agencies they visited.
Camp Hope is the brainchild of humanities teacher Melony O'Neill. Her idea was to help students understand the uncomfortable reality of life on the streets while raising funds for local charities outside of the Christmas giving season. She's hoping the experience will have a long-lasting impact on the students.
"I think this is something they'll remember forever. These students might one day be spearheading their own campaigns. We're just planting the seeds."
The school has raised over $7400 for The Mustard Seed, as well as donating piles of socks, toiletries and food. They plan to repeat the event next year, and are hoping the campaign will catch on with other Calgary schools.
