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School committees help direct funding |
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Written by Craig Albrecht
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Friday, December 19 2008, 9:34 PM |
Feeding hungry children, or at least finding the funding to do so, shouldn’t be a competition.
That’s why the Holy Spirit Catholic school division formed the Mother Teresa Committee this past year. While schools have been helping needy children for many years, money from the Lethbridge Herald Charitable Foundation’s Food for Thought campaign this past year convinced them of the need to band together.
“It was certainly a catalyst,” says Denis Potvin of St. Paul School, one of the principals who make up that committee. “The funds are there now, great. But who needs it most?”
When donations are made to the school division as a whole, those school reps decide who gets what depending on what they offer (breakfast, lunch or snacks or some combination) and what partnerships they might already have. If one school loses a source of funding, others can share their wealth.
“This way we’re not in competition with each other (for funding). We can help one another,” says Potvin.
In the future the Mother Teresa Committee may look at pooling all resources — whether directed to the division or a particular school, but Potvin knows that will have to be carefully considered. A lot of donations schools receive come from parents of the students there and he’d hate to disrespect their wishes if they want the money to stay at that school.
They are also hoping to expand the committee’s mandate in the future, to look at how it can help not only the students, but also the parents and other members of the Holy Spirit community.
The distribution of funds for breakfast programs is only a small part of what the Lethbridge public school district’s Poverty Intervention Committee is about. The committee was born out of a move by the public school board almost a decade ago to be one of the first in Canada to adopt a policy to address the needs of children affected by poverty.
The committee’s goals are to improve the educational opportunities and achievements of students affected by poverty, determine progress being made in that direction and create greater awareness of poverty issues.
Moving the money to feed hungry children, however, may be the most immediate need. Sheryl Hawkins, committee co-chair, says each of the schools was asked how much money they needed to offer whatever program they were delivering. Fortunately, and she notes the Food for Thought campaign had a great deal to do with that, the committee was able to meet all those needs.
The campaign, which has raised $13,998 to date, continues through Dec. 24. Financial contributions can be made from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Herald offices on 504 7 St. S. or by mail at Attention: Food for Thought, Lethbridge Herald, 504 7 St. S., Lethbridge, AB, T1J 2HI. Cheques should be made payable to the Lethbridge Herald Charitable Foundation and tax receipts are available, upon request, for donations over $5.
CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS
FRIDAY, DEC. 19
Lethbridge Truck Terminals Ltd, $1,000
Mark Sandilands, $100
Anonymous, $200
Jasmine Room, $100
Lenora Parr, $25
Anonymous, $50
Shane & Allison Roest, $100
Helen Trockstad, $25
Richard & Denise Davidson, $100
Greg & Joanne Weadick, $100
James & Barbara Cunningham, $50
Trudy & Brian Walker, $50
Brenda Stendebach, $50
Helen & Ronald Paulence, $100
In Memory of Jack Stokes, $200
Ava Hutton, $5
Jade Hutton, $5
James & Lisa Hutton, $20
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