A toothbrush, something to eat and socks are just a few of the things that 15-year-old October Angell-Janfield is packing into bags for people experiencing homelessness in the Okanagan.
“I wanted to do something similar to this for a while,” said Angell-Janfield, BGC Okanagan Club member.
“It’s honestly been such a positive thing in my life.”
The teen applied for and received a Rising Youth micro-grant for $1,500 to purchase all the items necessary for the kits and with the help of members and staff at the Downtown Youth Centre of the Okanagan BGC Club.
“The Rising Youth grant is an awesome project. The organization that puts it on makes it really accessible for youth to apply for everything themselves,” said Scotia Hewitt, Downtown Youth Centre drop-in coordinator.
The grant has proved handy over the years at the BGC Okanagan Club. With grant funding they were able to build the Karma Closet in the basement that is filled with clothes that have been donated to the society and members can take them home at no cost.
“There is so much grant money being available that people just don’t take advantage of and it’s hard because people feel like they don’t have an impact and they can’t change the world but they really can,” said Hewitt.
With the grant money, the possibilities are endless for teens that want to do something kind for their community and the care packages packed will make someone’s day a little brighter.
The care packages are available for pickup
at the Teen Junction in Vernon, Westside Youth Center in West Bank, The Downtown Youth Centre in Kelowna and at the Kelowna Friendship Society.
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