MVHS students adopt a family for Christmas

When Erin Burns' parents were gone one day she raided the cupboards and emptied them out.

"I was in charge," she said.

She took the food to school for a food drive organized by the students.

Burns is one of several Miramichi Valley High School students who adopted a family for Christmas and organized the food drive to help the local food bank.

The students were part of the school's Boomerang Project mentoring and transition program. Boomerang Project students mentor Grade 9 students and help them adjust to high school.

Every year MVHS adopts four families for Christmas, and the Boomerang students took one on for themselves. To raise money they went around the school to collect change and got over $300 in one day.

Boomerang project coordinator Kirk Matheson said even though the school has students from different socio-economic backgrounds, it seemed like everyone was involved.

"Students are very generous."

Before the fundraisers started, they gave students a presentation that showed the adopted families need things like cleaning supplies and food. It made them realize how needy some families really are, he said. "It's just an eye opener for everyone."

For the food drive, the students set up a two-and-a-half week competition between the Grade 9 classes to bring in food. They didn't set a specific goal, but wanted to bring in as much food as they could from each home room.

Matheson said the projects raised about $1,000 and collected about 250 food items from students. "For the most part it was successful."

Grade 11 student Melanie Barry said the projects made the students appreciate Christmas more and think about other people at this time of year. "You just feel good about yourself."

Melissa McGee, a Grade 12 student involved with the Boomerang Project, donated $5 one day. She said it wasn't much for her, but would be another $5 for the adopted family. "That was just one meal for me."

McGee was at the meeting when they started to organize the two events. She said Matheson asked the students for 10 volunteers. "Right away 10 hands shot up."

Matheson said they got a list of things the family needed and were told they didn't have to get them all. They raised enough to fill the list.

"We're able to do that."

Parents in the adopted families ask for things for the kids or items they need for themselves out of necessity, like boots, he said. "It's neat to see the parents don't usually ask for anything."

Grade 11 student Shanna Williams said the students probably wouldn't have adopted the family or organized the food drive if they weren't in the Boomerang Project and couldn't organize them on their own. "Kids our age don't get the opportunity to step up and do this."

Matheson said the Boomerang Project is designed to decrease attendance problems and help the whole school feel like a family.

It's a love of making MVHS a better place that drives the students in the program, he said.

"It's the leaders that are making it so successful."

McGee said she didn't expect the Grade 9 students to get involved, but the Boomerang Project helped them take part. "They're getting involved all the time. "