So I lost count, but think we have somewhere around 52 bags of clothing. Not bad on short notice. Congrats everyone, but we're not finished yet! We need everybody's help again sorting these clothes, and getting them to the donation centers where they are needed.

Instructions:

1. If you get the chance, separate out the childrens' clothes from everything else (we are just sorting into 2 categories, "children's" and "other").
2. Bring in any clothes you wish to personally donate.
3. Bring in all clothing for Tuesday, upon arrival, put all children's clothing on the tables. Everything else put off to the side to be sorted.
4. Each person please bring 1 big garbage bag. And anyone who has duct tape and markers, bring those too :P (Please & Thanks)
5. Wear your interact t-shirts (Sarah, bring that camera!).

Thanks again to everyone who gave their time and effort to help our cause, thanks to the collectors who braved the raging gales and bitter cold, thanks the drivers (parents included) for mobilizing us and thanks to your families for storing the clothes.

Slow and steady wins the race.

• Oakridge -         15
• Westmount -        8
• White Oaks -       6
• North London -   6
• Byron - 
• Medway - 
  
• Other -                 1
• Total                   36 bags of clothing!

• Medway -
• North London -   6
• Oakridge -         15
• White Oaks -       6
• Byron -
• Westmount - 
• Other -                 1
• Total                   28

• Medway -
• North London -   6
• Oakridge -         15
• White Oaks -      
• Byron -
• Westmount - 
• Total                   22

We're at 22 bags of clothing!!

Impressions of a Volunteer

Today, we made quite the interesting journey to Limberlost.

We met some interact supporters while waiting at the bus stop for the 9 Whitehills to arrive.

I learned to trust my partner's judgement when it comes to navigation.

We learned the value of choosing the road not taken.

We learned to climb every mountain in our way, and jump off every cliff (with a parachute).

But most importantly, we learned to value all that we have, and hold it dear forever.

Looking into the eyes of that little girl, knowing the hardships she had faced, and the further hardships that await her -- I felt my heart catch. I knew there was nothing I could say, nothing I could do that would reduce her suffering, or convey my most sincere sadness at her pain. For a moment, the unwritten pain on her face, in her eyes, was my pain.

I watched the excitement in her eyes as I spun her in a circle. I smiled at the look of concentration on her face as she deftly fitted each piece of the jigsaw puzzle. I felt the pang of guilt at her hopeful eyes when she asked us to stay.

We are who we are; we do not have a choice in how or where we enter this world. Nor how we are treated once we enter it. But we can choose how we act. We can choose to show compassion. We can choose to give hope. We can choose to bring change.

This is our journey,

Gordon, Sophia, Derek

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!

My favourite Interact quote from this week:

"Is it the year of the turtle?" 

Hospitality Meal Program - Post Volunteer Reflection

People who attended: Erica, Arianna, Sarah, Rosalinda, Rama, Hasan, Jill, Sonya, Jankarl  (+friend), Anna, Gordon

I was very pleased when I walked into the church and saw that most of the people who were coming had already arrived. Sarah became our first Banting student representative. That made me proud. Sonya, walked in smiling with 2 other people were not from interact. But they stayed all night help us, and I was unbelievably grateful.

The team helped with everything from start to finish: everyone helped set up the tables, the tablecloths (which are surprising heavy), and even for the cutlery. We packed what between 50 and 60 bread bags (assorted breads and baked items that people could take home). While in the kitchen, we were cutting another 50 or 60 loaves of bread to be served that night. 

When the crowd started coming, the process flowed like clockwork. Six of us were in the kitchen (Anna, Rama, Arianna, Erica, Sonya, myself) serving the food, and Sonya bravely volunteered to be our lone dishwasher. Hasan was in charge of sorting all the dishes as they came in and Sarah was helping to distribute the bread baskets. Rosie, Jill, and the others were helping with drinks and deserts.

We served hot soup, bread, desert and drinks to about 78 people in the span of half an hour.

I left early, but all in all I am quite proud of what we did, and more proud that you came to help.