The Country Mice

Island Boy

As their minds are hard pressed at the best of times to focus on calculus, Shakespeare and landforms of outer Mongolia, during this last week of classes students from Homeboy’s school launched themselves into the world of the less fortunate.

Island Boy with commuter cup

Spending the day working at a North Vancouver shelter for the homeless gave Homeboy a glimpse of a world very different from his own.

The students changed beds, folded sheets, stacked cans of food, and learned the message of the shelter is not one of pity but rather of hope.

A food exchange at the shelter allows food bank recipients to swap their canned lima beans for canned pork and beans, for example, giving some choice over the contents of the packages.

On a different day, students collected items for the food bank while others washed, scrubbed, raked and swept at a Bowen seniors’ centre.

It impresses me that a school takes interest in its community and then acts on it. Too often we’re encouraging kids to wash cars, have bake sales and sell chocolate bars so the community will support *them.* In these particular instances the students get nothing — nothing tangible, at least.

Waiting to board for their 20-minute commute to the mainland

One hopes for a joyful heart, filled to overflowing.

The spirit of the season.