Students in McCoy's The Power of 10 program show off their handmade receiving blankets. Members of the student group made approximately 50 blankets for Medicine Hat's Nurture Pregnancy Centre.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
A group of Canadian and international students is showcasing the power of giving back through a new volunteer program offered at Monsignor McCoy High School.
Called The Power of 10, the program offers students a chance to earn course credits and volunteer hours through work with various non-profit organizations across the city, visiting a new organization each month. In between volunteering, students gather in-class to reflect on their experiences and the lessons they earned through such.
“It’s called The Power of 10, (because) just 10 people can independently change the world,” international education supervisor Wanda Simmons told the News. “And what (students) are learning is a model of leadership (they can use) to encourage volunteerism in their communities.”
Students began the semester volunteering at the Root Cellar, making sandwiches for the organization’s lunch program and tending to its community garden. Come October, they began working with Nurture Pregnancy Centre, spending much of this past Saturday making receiving blankets for expecting mothers. The group is also going to be assisting at the centre’s upcoming fall brunch fundraiser.
Students say they are grateful for the experiences the program has offers, feeling a deepened appreciation for, and understanding of community service.
“Working with everyone at the Nurture Pregnancy Centre was inspiring, but overwhelming, because I had to figure out what to do and learn to sew,” said Yom Bol Ayo, one of the program’s Canadian students. “But when you learn that you’re helping other people by making blankets or by doing something else, I think it’s very motivating.”
Though the group’s international students acknowledged their acts of service are benefiting a community they will likely not permanently reside in, they agreed the experiences are worthwhile both in the skills they teach and the feelings they provide.
“We’re learning a lot about things we can give back in our own countries,” Loranza Pontarola said. “And it’s really nice to learn things that you wouldn’t (be able to do) by yourself, so then you go to your country and do it by yourself or call people to do it with you.”
“I think we are all together working really hard to make a positive impact in Medicine Hat, Canada and the world,” said Daniela Perez Altable. “If you have the ability of helping someone, I think that’s a pretty good start. (And) I think most of us feel also really good doing it.”
The group invites the public to join them at Nurture Pregnancy Centre’s Precious Beginnings fundraiser brunch taking place Oct. 29 at Hillcrest Evangelical Church. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
