Meeting Sun Youth Heroes

When I arrived at the Sun Youth headquarters to attend the launching of the annual Holiday campaign, one of the things that immediately caught my attention was the enthusiasm with which the people in charge of it are working. They aim at achieving the objectives of this year’s efforts:  to distribute over 5,000 Holiday baskets and as many toys to families in need.

Eric Kingsley, the spokesperson for the campaign, tells me that this is the 62^nd year that Sun Youth launches this annual event and he also points to the important role that the volunteers play in it. “They are the heroes of Sun Youth,” he says. He also mentions that most of the donations come from individuals rather than corporations. Some of these volunteers also collect items in the offices where they work. Word of mouth is also important in conveying the message to people who may eventually contribute.

I asked him about the response they get from the people: “Montrealers are very generous” says Eric, “they know our organization and value what Sun Youth has been doing over 60 years helping families and individuals with low incomes.” Although the campaign focuses primarily on these upcoming Holidays, Sun Youth also expects to collect enough items to be able to help people during the first three months of the year too, the winter months which are usually very hard for some families.

Ann St. Arnaud, from Sun Youth Communications and Marketing Dept. also tells us about the type of donations they would like to receive: any kind of pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned vegetables and fruits, oatmeal, canned tuna, bags of rice or beans, baby food, children’s toys (new), diapers, hygiene products, granola bars, cereals, soups. She also indicates that Sun Youth helps people all over the city.

Sun Youth is fulfilling an important role in the city these days when new people are being laid off, and the ranks of families in need are increasing. The Sun Youth workers tell me how the organization serves a broad range of people: young families, seniors, unemployed individuals, some new immigrants, single parents.

Donors are encouraged to use the hashtag #SYhero to show their contribution on Twitter and thus give an incentive to other people to contribute too.

If our readers want to make a contribution to Sun Youth, its address is 4251 Saint-Urbain, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1V6.  You can also visit its website at sunyouthorg.com

By Sergio Martinez – totimes.ca