Local student wins $10K in national writing contest
Habitat for Habitat’s 41-unit housing project on Leahy’s Lane to receive a $17,430 boost
A Peterborough student has won $10,000 for the Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region agency after her essay was one of three Grade 6 runners-up in a national Habitat for Humanity Canada writing contest for children.
The Meaning of Home writing contest asks students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 to share what home means to them and drew more than 10,200 entries this year — including 743 from the Peterborough area alone.
Peterborough student Siena Hopkins-Prest was one of three Grade 6 runners-up in the national contest for her entry “What Does Home Mean to Me.”
The money will go toward Habitat Peterborough’s planned 41-unit affordable condominium building being built at 33 Leahy’s Lane in the northeast end of Peterborough. Each student entry also earned a $10 donation. Because there were 743 local entries, an additional $7,430 will be donated to the Leahy’s Lane project from the contest.
Construction of the condo building is set to begin in September and will provide homes for families, singles, couples and seniors.
“We were inspired to see that 743 students from our region entered the contest this year,” Christina Skuce, director of philanthropy and communications with Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha
Region, stated in a news release.
“This represents the highest number of entries we have received in a single year from our Region and when compared to other Habitats across Canada, the third highest in all of Canada, in terms of total submissions received. This resulted in an additional $7,430 in donations to go toward the Leahy’s Lane development.”
The contest raised more than $280,000 nationally for the Habitat for Humanity cause.
Three grand prize winners, one from each grade, won a $30,000 grant toward a local Habitat for Humanity build. Nine runners up won a $10,000 grant toward their local Habitat.
Genworth Canada provided funding for the project.
Here is the complete text of the essay by Siena Hopkins-Prest:
What does home mean to me?
Home to me is a place where I can relax, laugh, cry and be myself. At home I don’t need to act like someone or something I’m not. Home is a place where I can be myself and feel good about it. And most importantly feel safe. When I know I’m home, I hear my cats meowing, my dog barking and my guinea pigs squeaking. I can feel the warmth of my mom’s loving arms around me, hugging me so tightly I can barely breathe, and the laugh of my dad making a funny face at me because I struggle to breathe.
Home is a place for families to reunite or get to know the other person as best as they possibly can. Home is a place where you create amazing and special memories that will stick by you your entire life. It’s a place where you can capture a special moment and celebrate it, and spend as much time as you can get with your loved ones.
Home means a lot to me and it’s where I spend most of my life. Home is where you get to see people grow up to be amazing human beings, and also say goodbye to the ones who were as much as you can ask for in your life. Then celebrate the amazing life and special moments you’ve had with these amazing people.
Home isn’t just a place where you live, it’s a place where you start new journeys and lives.
This is what home means to me.