L.A. Matheson Secondary students raise $7,000 for seniors housing facility
It started with a goal of $700, but after just three weeks, students at L.A. Matheson Secondary raised 10 times that for the Guru Nanak Diversity Village, a new senior care home being built in Surrey.
A core team of Grade 8 to 12 students from teacher Gurpeet Bains' Punjabi classes collected $7,000 in donations for the facility being built by Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society. With April being Sikh Heritage Month and the month in which Vaisakhi is celebrated, the Surrey students decided to start a fundraiser as part of the school's virtual Vaisakhi celebration, as the usual in-person event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
"Giving back to the community is a big part of Vaisakhi, and the idea came up to do a fundraiser in the spirit of Vaisakhi and Sikh Heritage Month, and make a contribution to a community initiative that is close to our hearts," said Bains. "We came across PICS and saw this is going to be a special place where seniors are welcome, and it's really what inspired us to do this."
Bains said the care home is designed to be culturally sensitive, accommodating seniors who don't speak English, adapting to any specific food preferences and keeping residents in touch with their cultural heritage.
With COVID-19 restrictions, Bains said students shifted their fundraising efforts to online platforms, sharing the donation link on social media and reaching out to the community and school alumni.
"It was amazing to see our past grads donate, they're working now, they have jobs and businesses and they opened their hearts to give to us," she said.
The school also received contributions through the L.A. Matheson Secondary website and e-transfers, as well as a few dropped off donations and some picked up from elderly seniors who couldn't travel. And as the donations kept coming in, their goal climbed and climbed and climbed.
"First it was $700, then $1,500, then $2,000," said Bains. "It kept going, and even the day we closed the online link, we had people phoning wanting to donate.
"We are just blown away by the amount of support, and I think COVID has a role to play in this. The pandemic has really impacted seniors and I think the community found this cause was very, very important during this time."
Bains also highlighted that Japneet Kaur Parhar, a Grade 8 student brand new to L.A. Matheson, broke her own personal fundraising goal.
"She went out into the neighbourhood, spoke to families and relatives, and brought in almost $1,100 on her own," said Bains. "I'm just amazed, and I really want to give her a shout-out."
The fundraiser is a long-term effort, set to continue for the next four years with an overall goal of $13,000. Students will campaign during Sikh Heritage Month, but the school will accept donations year-round. Anyone can donate by contacting L.A. Matheson Secondary or visiting the school website.
"We're already more than halfway to $13,000, and our students are really encouraged and inspired to get there," said Bains.
