Imagine heading to school on an empty stomach and not having a lunch or the proper clothing to withstand the elements.
That’s the reality for many Halton students, even though the region is often perceived as one of affluence.
It’s a perception Marc Clare, executive director of the Halton Catholic Children’s Education Foundation (HCCEF), wants dispelled.
“The (Halton) Poverty Roundtable recently released a report that 10 per cent of families in Halton live below the low-income cut off,” he told the Oakville Beaver. “So, even though Halton is an affluent community overall, there really is a strong need for assisting students so they can be part of school events.”
Alice Anne LeMay, former Oakville trustee and board chair of the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) and HCCEF volunteer board member, agrees.
LeMay says a poverty level of 10 per cent for Halton is high.
“Everybody thinks, Oakville? Nobody lives under the poverty line — well, they’re wrong. And the same with North Halton, Burlington; there are poverty pockets with families that are in great need,” she said.
That’s why HCCEF’s mission is to ensure every student with the HCDSB’s 54 elementary and secondary schools can attend school with the basic necessities of life (such as food and clothing), and are able to fully participate in school events, open to all students, such as class trips.
“The foundation gives these kids an opportunity to participate in all aspects of school life that maybe some students take for granted,” said Clare, who has been HCCEF executive director since September 2014.
He recalled how the independent charitable organization recently helped a young student whose family was experiencing “serious financial difficulties.”
The student’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and, as a result of the illness and her recovery, lost her job.
“They didn’t have a lot of stability over the year, so the school approached us with the hope that (the student) could participate in a Grade 8 trip to Ottawa. It was a really great opportunity for (the student to bond with peers, to feel included, part of the class and the school,” said Clare.
“When I think about these situations; if that student hadn’t gone, what would the impact have been? The student would have felt not included, isolated.”
The HCCEF was re-established in 2012 by then-director of education for the Catholic board Michael Pautler, said LeMay.
“He decided we really needed to revive it because we have so many children who couldn’t partake in a lot of the school events… because of financial situations or there were financial troubles in the family that they couldn’t have winter coats or things like that,” she said.
LeMay also said the foundation was revived as a result of the Ministry of Education curbing the amount of funds schools were allowed to raise.
“The schools weren’t raising the same amount of money they were before; that they could help the kids in their own community,” said LeMay. “So, we thought we’d better get the foundation up and running.”
Since being revived in 2012, the HCCEF has assisted 26 schools and in the past year, and more than 70 students and their families.
Clare said the foundation relies on schools to identify students in need. Applications to HCCEF are filtered through the principal who then sends them to Clare.
The foundation’s sub-committee reviews the applications for approval.
“Most of the time, the applications are something we would support,” explained Clare. “But it’s important for us to go through an application process so that we’re allocating funds responsibly.”
The HCCEF hosts two annual fundraising events to help it in its cause, one of which is taking place June 3.
The fourth annual golf tournament will be held at Burlington’s Hidden Lake Golf Club, 1137 Sideroad 1, at 11 a.m.
Early-bird registration costs $175 per golfer and ends Thursday, April 30. From May 1-29, the cost is $200 and tickets include golf, use of a golf cart, lunch and dinner.
The second event is an Evening with Diocese of Hamilton Bishop Douglas Crosby, scheduled for Nov. 4.
This will be this fundraiser’s fifth year. It includes dinner, an opportunity to meet Crosby and hear from the bishop as the keynote speaker.
It will be held at Le Dome Banquet Hall in Oakville, 1173 North Service Rd. E. Tickets cost $75.
To register for either event or for more information, visit www.hccef.org.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the HCCEF is asked to contact Marc Clare at clarema@hccef.org or 905-632-6314, ext. 134.
------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
Detail Link :
http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/5567356-halton-catholic-children-s-education-foundation-helps-students-in-need/