Young ambassadors making a difference
Felicia Tkachuk doesn’t regret having a birthday without a lot of big gifts from her friends.
It was her idea.
When she turned nine, the St. Catharines girl asked for non-perishable food instead of large presents so she could fill a Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold bin.
“Our goal was to fill it to the top and by the end it was overflowing,” she recalled Saturday.
Felicia, now 10, is one of 21 Community Care junior ambassadors — a role introduced by the agency at the start of this year for children and teen fundraisers.
Some of those ambassadors participated in Niagara Grape and Wine Festival’s Meridian Grande Parade Saturday, walking with an banner or riding in a Coventry taxi.
The kids have raised money through their own initiatives, from lemonade stands to toy drives to piggy bank collections.
Felicia’s mom, Frances, said when her daughter’s birthday arrived, her friends still brought her small gifts, but the main focus was food donations.
“It was her idea,” she said. “Most parents brought two or three bags of food. They were more than happy to donate.”
It’s not about the amount raised for Community Care that’s emphasized by the organization, but the fact the kids have done something to make a difference for others.
“Everything matters,” said Laura Byers, Community Care fund development officer in charge of junior ambassadors, who stresses that fact with the kids.
“That’s the beauty of it. It’s more than what we had yesterday.”
Community Care CEO BettyLou Souter said the idea for the ambassadors started when a little girl raised money from a lemonade stand because her friend Ruby Kirwin told her she had to help other people. Ruby is a longtime supporter of the agency with her brother Flynn.
Souter said at a young age, the kids already had that commitment and connection to help others.
“I firmly believe that if you get kids when they’re young, you’re going to have them forever,” Souter said.
Kids also teach other kids. She said one boy’s smoothie stand for Community Care led to another child on his street to raise money for Parkinson’s. Soon a whole block of kids were doing things to help different organizations.
Kids of all ages can apply to become a member of the Community Care Junior Ambassadors. They’re shown where the food they donate goes, participate in events and get a T-shirt that reads ”One person can make a difference and everyone should try.”
“It’s a really good thing and the parents love it because it teaches them the importance of giving back,” Souter said.
Parents and kids who are interested in the junior ambassador program can find out more at www. communitycarestca.ca/jrambassadors. kwalter@postmedia.com Twitter: @karena_standard